


Terminal Betrayal

by MissMy80sShows



Series: Scarecrow and Mrs. King - Enemies [3]
Category: Scarecrow and Mrs. King
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-03
Updated: 2020-11-03
Packaged: 2021-03-09 02:26:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 39
Words: 59,479
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27367261
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MissMy80sShows/pseuds/MissMy80sShows
Summary: When your partner is convicted of a crime, how far will you go to prove they are innocent? Will your friends help and risk their careers, too? Co-written with Karen La Manna.
Series: Scarecrow and Mrs. King - Enemies [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1596967





	1. Prologue

Amanda King-Stetson watched wide-eyed as the jury filed back into the courtroom. She glanced over at Lee and inhaled a stuttered breath. "All rise for the Honorable Judge Hamilton," the court bailiff stated in a low, monotone voice. Judge Hamilton settled himself into his seat and scanned the faces of the people who filled the room. His eyes settled on the nervous-looking gentleman standing in the corner of the jury box. He nodded in the man's direction and asked, "Mr. Foreman, has the jury reached a verdict in this case?" "Yes, your Honor, we have," the foreman replied in a shaky voice. Judge Hamilton raised his hand, indicating the man should continue. "On the charge of first-degree murder, how does the jury find?" the judge demanded. "We, the jury, find the defendant, Guilty," the foreman stuttered.

Amanda gasped with everyone around her, "No!" The judge hammered the gavel on the desk, each loud rap caused Amanda to flinch. "Order! Order in the court!" Judge Hamilton demanded. As the group slowly settled down, the tears began to stream down Amanda's face. She felt Billy's hand on her shoulder, in an effort to comfort her and give her strength. She shook her head in disbelief and whispered again, "No!" She fell backward onto the bench behind her and gasped once more, "I don't believe it! I know it's not true!"

Lee tried to reach out for her, "Amanda!" he called out, his eyes searching her face. "Lee!" Amanda cried back as she scrambled to her feet. She grabbed his hand seconds before he was pulled away from her, his hands cuffed behind his back. She grasped the air, desperate to touch him again as he was led away. She collapsed onto the bench again, her cheeks wet with tears. Billy leaned close and assured her, "Don't worry, Amanda, we'll get to the bottom of this. We will get our best team on it. We will fight it, appeal it, whatever we need to do. I promise you, we will get Lee out of this."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 1**

Two days passed after Lee's sentencing in federal court. Judge Hamilton didn't hesitate when he sentenced Lee to thirty years to life without parole. He was transported to the closest federal prison which ironically was located in Lee County, Virginia. Lee United States Penitentiary was the high-security penitentiary and the same location many of the Agency's political enemies were sent.

Lee knew the instant he stepped onto the tier into Block Three, he was going to be a target. He slowly followed the guard until he stopped in front of an empty cell. "In here, Stetson. Your roomie will be back from Medical in a few minutes. Play nice," the stern-faced guard instructed with a sneer. He gave Lee a shove into the open cell before he jerked the sliding door closed with a bang. Lee jumped but remained silent as he carefully surveyed his surroundings.

The small six by eight-foot cell was claustrophobic, to say the least, although, Lee had to admit he had been in worst places before and survived. Beside him were two bunks, suspended from the wall. Tucked into the corner of the cell sat a toilet which offered no privacy. In the opposite corner was a small metal sink on which rested a single toothbrush and a plastic cup. Across from the bunks, attached to the wall, was a small stool with a shelf that doubled as a writing desk. He stepped deeper into the cell and tossed his small bundle of prison-issued items onto the top, unmade bunk. He tried to ignore the catcalls and shouts he heard behind him as he carefully unwrapped the sheet and blanket folded at the end of the bed and began making the bed.

Lee had just finished when a clanging sound behind him startled him. He turned slowly and found himself face to face with his new cellmate. The man stood approximately the same height as Lee, although, he easily outweighed Lee by fifty pounds. Lee inhaled sharply as the larger man twitched his head as he sized up Lee. The man didn't offer his name, he simply stared at Lee, while he worked his jaw side to side. Lee watched as the bulging muscles in the man's arms flexed and strained as he folded his arms and shifted slightly closer to the bunks. "I… um… I'm…. My name is…." Lee stuttered, completely unsure of how to introduce himself.

"I don't care," the man spat. He pushed Lee aside before he stretched out onto his bunk. He closed his eyes and stated, "My meds haven't kicked in yet, so if you wake me up, I'll break you. Got it?"

Lee shifted his shoulders uncomfortably, nodded and replied softly, "I got it." He carefully climbed onto his own bunk and pulled the small picture of Amanda and the boys from his prison-issued scrub's pocket. He stared at the image until it blurred from the unshed tears in his eyes.

Time passed slowly for Lee. Each day, he felt he was in a constant battle for survival. To his dismay, several inmates recognized him and his worst fears began to come true. His first week, he spent learning to navigate the complicated schedule forced upon him. He found himself getting pushed to the end of the line in the cafeteria which he quickly learned was referred to as the chow hall. His guard was constantly up, especially after his first experience in the showers when one inmate surprised him. He took three punches to his left kidney before he could react. Lee spent the remainder of the afternoon in medical on what the other inmates referred to as a sick call. His only ray of light came in the handwritten letters from Amanda.

As his first thirty days came to a close, Lee waited anxiously for his first visitor. He was shuffled down to a large, open room where inmates and visitors moved freely around the room or sat huddled together at small tables. He couldn't hide his surprise when he saw Billy standing uncomfortably near the vending machine. He approached his friend and mentor, offering him a tentative smile. "Hey. I didn't expect to see you here," Lee stated.

Billy nodded, "I know."

"Where's Amanda? She said she was going to try to come last night… but now, you're here, so what the hell is going on?" Lee asked, his mind racing.

"Amanda's fine. She would have been here but she got hung up with Fielder on a case," Billy stated softly.

"Fielder? What in the world is she doing with him?" Lee snapped, his anger immediately rising.

"Not my idea, I can assure you. I think Smith's replacement is flexing his new status if you know what I mean. Actually, Masters was supposed to be with Fielder for surveillance but he got busted on an DUI, so since Amanda was the only available agent..." Billy explained.

"They stuck her with him. I get it. What's the case?" Lee asked as he scanned the room for anyone who may be listening in on their conversation.

Billy leaned closer and whispered, "Gutierrez is reported to have a hit out on that physicist, Dr. Ramirez. They're watching his every move."

Lee shook his head, "For how long?"

"Another day or two at the most," Billy replied.

"Yeah, just long enough for her to miss the first weekend I could possibly see her," Lee snapped angrily.

Billy reached out and placed his hand on Lee's forearm as he assured him, "I told you it wasn't my idea. I'll do everything in my power to make sure she's here next weekend. In the meantime, how are you doing?"

Lee rolled his eyes, "Just fine. It's better than the Taj Mahal." He glared at Billy before he added, "How do you think?"

Billy pressed his lips together firmly, "I think you're learning the hard way. But let me tell you this, we've reopened the case, unofficially. I've had Francine going back over everything."

"I didn't kill Dr. Smyth, Billy. Yes, I hated the man. Yes, I can't say I'm unhappy he's gone but I didn't do it," Lee reminded him. "You know as well as I do, somebody set me up," he added in a low tone.

"I believe you. I have always believed you but the facts state otherwise," Billy stated. He dropped his voice lower and added, "I had a meeting with your lawyer to go over his notes."

"Oh, I can't wait to hear what Mr. Incompetant had to say," Lee groaned.

Billy motioned toward a table not far from where they were standing, "Let's take a seat and talk about this." Lee nodded and they settled themselves in the hard plastic chairs. Billy reached into his jacket and pulled a small notebook out of his pocket. A nearby guard immediately moved to their table and held out his hand. "It was cleared. They stamped it and everything," Billy assured him. The guard examined the small book and handed it back without a word.

"Welcome to my every move," Lee joked with a half-laugh. They spent the next hour going over the notes Billy had gotten from Lee's lawyer and it wasn't long before Billy realized why Lee had very little faith in his lawyer winning any appeals. "I'll talk to legal and see what we can do about getting you a new lawyer. You're right, he missed too many opportunities to disprove the prosecutor. He let you down, Lee. I'm sorry."

Lee reached out and squeezed Billy's shoulder to reassure him, "It wasn't your fault. I didn't know how bad he was until it was too late. But you'll get me out of here, I know you will."

From the entrance doorway, a guard announced visiting hours were ending. "I'll be sure Amanda is off duty next weekend."

Lee stared at the grooves and cracks on the Formica tabletop before he asked, "How is she, Billy?"

"She's strong. She's keeping herself busy," Billy began.

"That's not what I mean," Lee stated firmly.

"I know what you mean. But this is Amanda, she's smart, resilient," Billy continued.

Lee slapped his hand down and added, "And it's Amanda. She's emotional, Billy. She lives her life by what her heart tells her. She relies on her instincts, so what are her instincts telling her?"

Billy stood, glanced at the guard, and said, "Her instincts say you're innocent and she's going to help prove it. Now, I better get going before they throw me out of here. I'll give her a full report, don't you worry."

Lee stood and thrust his hand into Billy's, "Take care of my family. Please. I can't protect them from in here."

"I will, like my own," Billy clapped his hand over Lee's before he released it and headed to the exit.

Lee moved to the opposite end of the room where he was immediately shoved into the wall by another inmate, "Wait your turn, Fish."

Lee groaned softly at the impact and immediately tensed his hands to fight back until he spotted one of the guards watching them. He forced himself to relax. "Sorry," he mumbled before he moved to the end of the line. He watched Billy leave and his heart sank slightly.

Once back in his cell, he reread Amanda's last letter several times. She wrote to him about the boys' upcoming schedules and games and went into great detail about how Philip made the decision to join the mock trial club at school because he was so angry about Lee's trial all while finishing up the fall baseball season. She explained the boys were working on their letters too but Jamie was struggling with what to say as he felt his entire trust with Lee was broken. "We'll get through this, Sweetheart. Somehow. Just know we all love you," Amanda had written.

"I love you, too," Lee whispered softly to the lined paper in his hands. "Don't lose that faith, Amanda."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 2**

"Okay, Amanda, is there anything else you want to add?" Beaman sighed softly as he finished jotting down the last few notes Amanda gave him.

Amanda looked around the room to think. "No, no, I don't think so. We watched, waited, took pictures of everyone that came in and out of the location, which wasn't many since it was an abandoned warehouse. Um," she rattled.

"Exactly how many men did you take pictures of?" Beaman questioned again.

Amanda tapped her fingers as she described each man, "Well, there was Gutierrez. I recognized him from the pictures we got earlier. And then there was the man with the vest. We only saw him once. That's two. The two men with the wooden case… three and four." She tapped her finger several times as she tried to remember the last person. "Oh, and the man with the briefcase. That's five. That's it."

Beaman nodded as he wrote down the descriptions of each man for reference. "And how would you describe the interactions between Gutierrez and these men?" he inquired. Amanda blinked several times as she tried to process what Beaman just asked. He reached forward and squeezed her hand gently as he encouraged, "It's okay, Amanda. You can tell me."

Amanda slowly peeled her hand away from him and stated, "We didn't actually see him with any of the men. He went inside first, then, one man would come, then he would leave, then Gutierrez would leave. After a few hours, it would happen all over again. We never saw him directly with anyone else." She folded her arms defensively across her chest and stared at Beaman.

Beaman pushed his glasses up with one finger and nodded several more times, "I understand. Well, I guess that's it then." He looked over at Amanda and added, "Amanda, I just want you to know that if you need anything… help with anything… I'm here for you."

Amanda stood abruptly and snapped, "I'm fine, Beaman. It's fine. Lee will be home soon and everything will be fine."

Beaman stood, blocking Amanda's path to the door, and said, "Amanda, you have to face the facts. Lee's not coming home soon. He's in prison… for the rest of his life, I'll bet. You can't deny that. The facts are-"

"The facts are wrong! Lee didn't do it. He didn't kill Dr. Smyth any more than I did," Amanda shouted angrily.

"But the jury said differently," Beaman reminded her.

Amanda, fighting back tears, shouted once more, "They're wrong!"

"They can't be wrong, Amanda. They based their findings on the evidence," Beaman stated firmly.

"Evidence can be manufactured, manipulated. You know it can happen! It happens all the time in this business," Amanda cried.

Beaman reached out and tried once more, "Amanda, I know Lee and I weren't friends… okay, we barely got along… but that doesn't mean I don't care about you." He brushed the back of his fingers down Amanda's arm.

"Don't touch me!" Amanda uttered as the tears flowed freely. She swiped at the wet streaks on her cheeks before she pushed past Beaman. She threw the door open with a bang and immediately headed in the direction of Billy's office. Beaman took several steps into the hallway to catch her until he realized she was moving too fast. He shook his head and gently closed the door behind him.

Amanda blindly made her way to Billy's office. She ignored the sympathetic looks from the agents around her as she waited for Billy to allow her entrance. When she finally heard his voice she quickly stepped into his office, the tears streaming freely down her face.

"Amanda! What happened?" Billy questioned as he scurried around his desk to reach her. Amanda simply shook her head and buried her face in her hands. Billy put his arms around her, to comfort her before he guided her to the couch.

"Sir," Amanda sniffed. "I just left Beaman and he believes Lee's guilty. I'm not blind, I see how everyone looks at me. I know what everyone is thinking and they're wrong. And I know this isn't very professional of me right now but it's been a long weekend working with Fielder. I'm tired, I've barely seen my family, I completely missed my opportunity to see Lee. I'm sorry."

Billy nodded with each admission and comforted her, "It's all right, Amanda. I understand. Lee understands."

"I know, sir, but I…" Amanda paused to catch her breath between sobs, "I just miss him so much. And I know he didn't do this. I know he didn't kill Dr. Smyth. He wouldn't have."

"I feel the same way but the jury saw enough in the evidence presented to think otherwise. I've had Francine going over all of it, bit by bit and she's found a few inconsistencies we can use to our advantage at his appeal," Billy stated.

"An appeal? An appeal will take months and that's only if we find something new," Amanda interjected.

"I know, I know. We just have to be patient," Billy reminded her softly. "We're going to get through this and we are going to make sure you get to see him soon. Besides, I know Lee misses you, too."

"It's not just me. I mean, Mother misses him and Philip… once he stopped being angry at Lee… he realized how much he missed him too. And Jamie… well, he's still angry and hurt but soon, I know, soon he'll realize why we did what we did and why we kept the Agency from them and he'll admit how much he misses him too. I know he will," Amanda rambled. She stopped long enough to wipe her tears away and then added, "I've written letters to Lee almost every day. And Mother finally sat down this weekend to write him. Philip has tried but he gets upset. He will though."

Billy pressed his lips together and nodded, "We'll get through this. Don't worry, Amanda."

Amanda exhaled loudly and stated, "Yes, we will. Thank you, sir." She wiped her face once more and asked, "Sir, if you don't mind, I'd like to head home. It's been a long weekend and with all this extra surveillance, I'm beat. I think I'd like to spend some time with my family if that's all right."

"It's okay, I understand. And, as long as you've completed your debriefing with Beaman, you are good to go," Billy assured her.

Amanda stood and moved to the door. She paused before opening it and looked at Billy once more, "Sir, how was he, really?"

Billy scratched his jawline and stated firmly, "I think he's going to be just fine, Amanda."

Four hundred miles away, Lee was getting dragged off another inmate, blood pouring down his face, obscuring his vision. His forearm burned where the inmate managed to stab him once and the ribs along his left side protested with every move from the beating he had received earlier that day. He struggled against the arms and the body armor that wrapped around him as he fought back to the swinging fists. "Let me go!" he snapped and instinctively swung in the direction of the closest body which ended up being a guard.

"You were warned earlier, Stetson. Another fight and you were going to feel the consequences," the officer snapped. He sidestepped Lee's attempt to lash out and landed a solid punch on Lee's already tender ribs.

Angrily, Lee swept the guard's legs out from underneath him with one well-placed kick as he turned back to the inmate holding a sharpened weapon.

"Not so perfect now, are you pretty boy?" the inmate sneered. "I told you, Scarecrow. I told you one day I would find you and I would cut you!"

"And I told you, Marcus, that if I ever saw you again, I would kick your ass to kingdom come!" Lee snapped.

"And I told both of you to knock it off but since you both seemed to be hard of hearing, you can spend the next week in solitary," a booming voice reverberated in the small space of the corridor they were in.

Lee pushed the blood out of his eye with the back of his hand and flinched when the burning pain seared his forehead just above his eyebrow. He stopped struggling and groaned audibly at the guard standing before him. He raised his hands in surrender, blinking continuously as the blood continued to blur his vision. His arm, still seeping blood, was roughly twisted behind his back and he was immediately brought to his knees. He never saw the blow coming as Marcus lunged away from the guard holding him, placing one swift kick to Lee's head. He collapsed onto the cold tile floor, unconscious.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 3**

Amanda entered her house quietly, her eyes blinking heavily. She was hoping she could take a short nap before she started getting caught up on the household chores she had missed while she was on surveillance. As she slipped into the kitchen, she heard Dotty's distinctive voice calling out, "Amanda, is that you?"

"Yes, Mother, it's me," Amanda replied with a sigh. She dropped her bag onto the floor and peered around the corner. She found Dotty sitting on the couch in the family room, an open book in her lap. "What'cha reading?"

Dotty glanced down at her book, removed her glasses and said, "Nothing important. You look exhausted."

"I am exhausted, Mother," Amanda admitted. She sat on the arm of the couch and traced a faded flower on the blanket draped over the top.

Dotty studied her daughter and asked dryly, "So, can you talk about what you were working on or is that all secretive?"

Amanda tensed up immediately. She swallowed hard and stated, "I was just doing surveillance… watching a building and taking pictures of the people that came and went."

"Uh-huh," Dotty nodded. "And what kind of people were you watching?" When Amanda didn't answer right away, she waved her hand and replied dismissively, "Never mind. I don't need to know."

"Mother, I've asked you to understand," Amanda groaned. She stood abruptly and threw her hands up in the air, "I can't do this. I can't live like this. I can't come home from work and fight this battle!"

"Battle? What battle? All I did was ask-" Dotty defended.

Amanda rolled her eyes and moaned, "Ask yes. Then you… you… dismissed it, like my job doesn't mean anything."

Dotty moved her book and her glasses to the coffee table and folded her arms. "Now listen here, Missy. I didn't question you when you said you wouldn't be home all weekend because of your work. And I didn't question you when you didn't offer any additional information, now did I? All I did was ask a simple question and you… you just went off the rails!" Dotty reprimanded her.

"No… I just… I think all of this is just getting to me. Work isn't the same without Lee. I miss him here, I miss him there. Everything I did was with him," Amanda dropped her chin and closed her eyes, "I'm sorry, Mother."

Dotty stood and put her arms around Amanda, "I'm sorry too, Darling. I miss him, too. And I still don't believe he did what they said he did. Not Lee! Not my loving son-in-law who does his best to make everyone around here happy. But, I guess we'll have to make the best of things as they are." Amanda dropped her head down and allowed the tears to fall once more. "Why don't you head up and take a nice, hot shower then lay down for a while before the boys come home?"

"Thank you, Mother," Amanda whispered. She turned away and climbed up the steps. In her bedroom, she sank down on her bed. From under her pillow, she pulled out a soft grey t-shirt and held it to her nose. She inhaled deeply and closed her eyes. "Five more days, Lee. Five more days and I can hold you in my arms again, instead of just imagining you're here."

She replaced the shirt under her pillow, stripped off her clothes and headed into the bathroom. After a hot shower, she pulled on a shirt of Lee's and a pair of sweatpants. She curled around Lee's pillow and fell into a dreamless sleep. She was awakened several hours later by the sounds of Jamie and Philip fighting.

"I told you, I'm not going to do it!" Jamie shouted before slamming his bedroom door open, banging it off the desk.

"You don't have a choice, remember? Mom said she wanted us to do it and I think we should!" Philip yelled back.

Groggily, Amanda sat up and continued to listen. "I'm not going to write to him. I hate him! He lied to us, Mom lied to us!" Jamie yelled again.

Amanda brushed her hair off her face and sighed. She slowly stood and as she opened her bedroom door she heard Philip retort, "He did what he had to do to keep us safe. Why can't you get that through your thick skull?"

"Keep us safe? He didn't keep us safe! He hurt us… he hurt you, me… and most of all, he's still hurting Mom because he's not here!" Jamie screamed.

"Jamie," Amanda whispered as she leaned against the doorway. "Lee didn't hurt anyone. He loves us… all of us."

Jamie looked at Amanda and hissed, "He lied to all of us." He slammed his door closed, leaving Philip and Amanda alone in the hall.

"Philip," Amanda reached out and wrapped her arms around her eldest son.

"I don't believe him, Mom. I know Lee didn't mean… I'm sure he didn't mean…" Philip stumbled over the words he was trying to reassure his mother with.

Amanda hugged her son tightly and stated, "I know. Jamie's still hurt. I understand why. We lied to him, for a long time, and it's going to take him more time to understand we only did it because we love you. Both of you."

Philip squeezed his arms around her once more and added, "I get it, Mom. Can I go with you this weekend when you go see Lee?"

Amanda stepped back and touched Jamie's door. From inside, she could hear his muted cries just like the nights after Lee was arrested. She let her hand slide down the door before she turned back to Philip and shook her head. "Philip, I know you want to see him but I don't think this is the best time for you to go. Lee's only been there a short time and I -" Amanda tried to explain.

"Mom, I'm old enough! You only have to be sixteen. I looked it up at the library at school," Philip insisted. "And I can help you drive. It's a long drive… I heard you telling Grandma it was going to take almost six hours to get there, so you were going to have to get up extra early or you were going to have to spend the night."

Amanda exhaled loudly, "Philip, I don't think you're ready to see the inside of a federal prison, not yet. Maybe in a few weeks, after Lee's more settled."

Philip banged his hand against the wall before he spun around and leaned his foot against it. "I'm not a baby. Not like Junior in there!" he thrust his hand at Jamie's bedroom door. "I don't care anymore that you guys hid your jobs from us. I know you did what you thought you had to do and… if Lee had to pop that old guy… I get that too."

"Pop that old guy? Lee would never hurt anyone like that. He doesn't just go off killing people," Amanda gasped.

Jamie's door opened slowly. "Lee really did kill someone?" he asked.

Amanda looked into her son's hazel eyes partially hidden behind his glasses. "He didn't try to kill anyone intentionally but yes, he has killed a few people in the past. He did what he had to when he was in danger but he would never do what he as accused of," Amanda explained.

"So it's true. He _is_ a killer?" Jamie asked, his eyes wide.

"No, not like that," Amanda shook her head.

"You just said he's killed people in the past, so by definition that makes him a killer," Jamie reasoned.

Amanda reached out to touch his arm, "You're a lot more like him than you realize, Jamie."

"Who?" her son demanded. "What are you talking about?"

"Like Lee. He thinks the same way," she stated with a weak smile. "He makes the same kind of connections just like you just did."

Jamie pressed his lips together and snapped, "No! I am nothing like him. I would never hurt my family like he hurt us. He can rot in that prison for the rest of his life, for all I care!"

"Jamie!" Amanda sighed just before he slammed the door in her face.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 4**

Lee opened his eyes and immediately groaned in pain. He reached across his chest and gently prodded his tender ribs. He flinched as he touched one particularly painful spot. "I got bad news for you," a harsh voice stated beside him.

Lee groaned and turned his head. The pain from his eyebrow caused him to squint. "What's that?"

"You're gonna live, big boy," the nurse beside him informed him. She roughly slapped a blood pressure cuff around his arm and said, "Just lie still for a minute, then you'll be going for a walk with Lieutenant Joe. He'll take good care of you."

"Let me guess. He's going to take me back to my cell and tell me to play nice, right?" Lee replied sarcastically.

"Yeah, something like that," she muttered as she rolled her eyes and tugged the cuff off his arm.

Lee groaned again and moved his hand to his forearm. He chuckled, "Feels like that little punk, Marcus, got the best of me this time."

"Twelve stitches on your head, seven on your arm, a slight concussion, and three cracked ribs you're going to feel for a while. Yeah, you got your ass handed to you," the nurse confirmed Lee's injuries. "Oh look, here comes Lieutenant Joe. Well, I hope I don't see you again any time soon. Stay out of trouble."

Lee twisted his head to the side when he heard the sound of boots approaching. "Let's go, Stetson. Medical says you're cleared. You're coming with me," the massive guard stated.

Lee sat up slowly, pressed his hand against his ribs, and replied, "Oh, goody. Just in time for rec." He hung his legs off the side of the cot and allowed the guard to fasten shackles to his ankles, which were connected to a chain around his waist.

"Not for you," the guard stated as he directed Lee down the corridor, his leg shackles clinking and clanging with every step.

Lee followed, and after several turns, he found himself in a different area of the prison. "Where are we going? This doesn't look like BlockThree," he questioned.

"Oh, I guess that little knock your noggin took rattled your memory. You are heading down for a seven-night stay in solitary. Just think of it as a vacation away from home," the guard stated sarcastically.

Lee blinked several times, "Solitary? But I didn't-"

"You were warned. It's all in the report: two fights, one day. Sorry, bub, those are the rules," the guard reminded him.

"I didn't start any of that!" Lee insisted angrily.

"Doesn't matter, you were involved. And lucky you, you got to spend the first night in medical. I hear the service over there is much friendlier than what you're going to get now," Lieutenant Joe growled.

Lee stopped in his tracks and demanded, "Who do I talk to about this?"

Lieutenant Joe laughed loud and long before he answered, "No one. There is no disputing anything. Fighting isn't tolerated under any circumstances. You were lucky they didn't toss you down here after the first fight, but the captain… well… he felt bad since you were a newbie, and it appears you know a few of our more illustrious inmates in a less than amicable nature. He's also making a recommendation you should be kept out of gen pop for the remainder of your stay here, once you're out of the hole."

"Gen pop? You mean, I won't be in Block Three?" Lee asked, more confused than ever.

"No, sir, you will be transported over to Tower Four to the Protective Custody Unit. There you will have fewer individuals to deal with, and hopefully, it will keep you alive long enough to die here naturally. But don't worry, I don't think Hooks is going to miss you much. He likes having his cell to himself," the guard informed him matter-of-factly, with a smirk.

Lee shook his head, incredulous. "What about visitors? Will I be able to have visitors?"

The guard shrugged his shoulders, "Your lawyer, definitely. Your priest, rabbi, or whatever religious clergy you are associated with. Anyone else is up to the discretion of the Warden and only after a written request."

Lee's shoulders slumped as the realization of his situation hit him like a ton of bricks. "So my wife…" his words hung in the air.

"Only if the Warden is in a good mood that day, believe me," Lieutenant Joe stated. He stopped and swiped a clearance card as they entered a new section of the building. Lee was pushed into an open area where the walls were lined with solid metal doors. The only openings were a six-by-nine inch rectangular window and a similar-sized slot in the center of the door. "Open nine," Lieutenant Joe shouted out. Lee heard a buzzing sound followed by a loud, metallic click before the door beside them swung open slowly. "Here it is! Your new home. You'll get two hours a day outside of your cell, but that will also include using the shower facilities," he barked as he lowered himself to one knee to remove Lee's shackles.

Lee looked around the small room and groaned inwardly. All he saw was a simple cot, a toilet, and a sink in the narrow, rectangular space. He was shoved inside roughly where Lee fought to keep his balance before he was informed, "The rest of your crap will be brought down to you. It will be handed to you through the bean slot right there, as will all of your meals. Enjoy your stay." The metal door slammed shut before Lee had a chance to straighten up and turn around.

He sunk down on the cot, his hand immediately began searching for the small picture he kept in his shirt pocket. He instantly started to panic when he couldn't find the familiar, rectangular square of photopaper. He vaguely remembered the nurse tugging his blood-stained shirt over his head and the picture fluttering to the floor. " _Your family?" she asked as she picked it up. Lee nodded and held the image between his fingers before he tucked it into his back pocket for safekeeping. "Don't lose that," she warned. Lee shook his head and muttered, "Never," before he closed his eyes and drifted into unconsciousness._ Lee sighed and felt the back pocket of his orange scrubs. He tugged the picture from his pocket and sighed out loud as relief flooded his body.

While Lee was getting adjusted to his new living arrangements, Francine, Billy, and Harry V. Thornton were going over the facts of Lee's case as they knew them.

"Facts, Miss Desmond. I don't need any of your sarcastic mumbo jumbo," Harry stated.

"You want the facts?" Francine snapped back. "I'll tell you the facts! The facts are, Lee looks guilty no matter which way you look at it."

Billy shook his head angrily at Francine's outburst. "That's enough, Francine. Just stick to the facts, not your twisted view of how things happened. Harry has been out of the country this whole time, and he needs to understand WHY the jury found him guilty."

Francine exhaled loudly and sat down on the edge of Billy's desk. She lifted a notepad and began reading aloud, "The facts, as stated during the trial. Fact number one, Dr. Smyth was shot twice, point-blank, in the chest by nine-millimeter caliber bullets. Fact number two, those bullets were determined to have been discharged by one specific weapon, identified through extensive ballistics testing to be the G17. Fact three, the weapon identified just so happens to be the same weapon favored by Lee. Fact four, upon close examination, his gun was determined to have only two bullets fired from it, and only Lee's fingerprints were found on both the trigger and the handgrip. Fact number five, the most conclusive fact. The bullets recovered had identical rifling marks as Lee's Glock, confirming it was the weapon used to shoot Dr. Smyth."

Billy watched Harry's face as each fact was revealed, and he cringed as Harry's face went white with Francine's last statement. "But… but what made them suspect Lee in the first place?" Harry stuttered in disbelief. "Why would they even look at his weapon?"

"Well, it's never been a secret how much Lee disliked Dr. Smyth. I mean, about three days before the shooting, they got into a screaming match in the hall just outside the bullpen. I think Lee's exact words to Dr. Smyth were, 'I would shoot you right here if I could!'" Francine informed him.

"Okay, what about an alibi? Lee must have had an alibi. I mean, he's a married man… he was probably home with Amanda," Harry suggested emphatically.

Billy pursed his lips and shook his head, "That's the problem. He wasn't home with her. He said he got an anonymous call that said to meet him at Meridian Hill Park, where this mystery informant would give Lee some information on a deal the Russians were making with a certain German scientist."

"Which one? Who was it?" Harry demanded.

"That's just it. We don't know. Lee said he didn't know, and he went there to find out. He claims he waited there until well after one in the morning, and then he returned home," Billy explained.

"So, he was home?" Harry asked.

Francine dropped the notepad onto the desk and stated, "Doesn't matter. Dr. Smyth was killed just before eleven. The nine-one-one dispatcher said someone on a payphone called in a body floating in the water at James Creek Marina. Body temp, even after being in the water, still confirmed his approximate time of death. Lee had no witnesses and no one to confirm his alibi from ten until he got home."


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 5**

Billy pursed his lips and grimaced as Francine continued to speak. "Francine, I think I've heard more than enough. Now, tell me. Did you find anything useful yet?"

Francine gathered up her notepad and hugged it to her chest. "Nothing new yet, but I did talk to all the businesses in the vicinity of Meridian Hill Park to see if anyone had surveillance cameras focused on the street. So far, no one does, but I'm still waiting to hear back from two shops," she stated as she squared her shoulders.

"Well, get on that. And find out if anyone in the Marina has anything. You never know who might be watching," Billy instructed angrily.

"Fine," Francine lifted her chin defiantly. "I'll see what I can do." She left the room with one last glance at Billy before she closed the door with a soft click.

"I'm sorry about that. This whole thing has everyone on edge," Billy apologized to a quiet Harry. "Francine's taken this whole thing pretty hard. Especially after what happened a few years ago with Stemwinder, she doesn't know what to believe. She knows how easily evidence can be manufactured and manipulated but with Lee's gun… That's a lot harder for her to wrap her brain around."

Harry nodded slowly and stroked his mustache several times before he stated, "I understand. In this business, friends can become enemies in the blink of an eye, and you don't know what is real or what isn't sometimes. How about Lee's lawyer? What was he like?"

Billy grunted before he stated, "Useless. I know more about the law than he does. We wanted the agency lawyers to go to bat for him, but because Dr. Smyth was the victim, they pulled out and stated a conflict of interest."

"Conflict of interest? That means they didn't want to throw dirt on Smyth because he was in the back pocket of too many bigwigs on Capitol Hill," Harry snapped.

"I know, I know, but there was nothing we could do about it. And Lee didn't have much money saved because he and Amanda just closed on the land they bought right before all of this happened. They couldn't find the perfect house, so they decided to build their own. Now Amanda's sitting on a lot of land she can't afford to build on right now, her husband's in prison for a crime we all know he didn't commit and she's still trying to keep things normal with her family," Billy explained. "My heart goes out to her, that's for sure. I just hope this doesn't break her, you know?"

Harry sighed loudly, "I do, and dammit, I'm going to make sure it doesn't. Lee's always been like a son to me… and well, if you say you believe he's innocent, then so do I. I'll be sure he has the best damn lawyer money can buy."

"Harry, you don't need to do that. Lee wouldn't want-" Billy began.

"I don't give a damn what Lee would or would not want me to do. I'm going to do this. I have the money, and I can't take it with me when I die, so why not. There's no reason Lee should spend the rest of his life behind bars because his lawyer was a bumbling idiot!" Harry declared.

Billy leaned back in his chair and chuckled at Harry's description of Lee's inept lawyer, "Well, I can't say you're not wrong. He dropped the ball on a lot of the investigation, and he stumbled his way through the witness interrogations. It was almost as if he believed Lee was guilty himself."

Harry shook his head in disgust, "How did someone like that ever pass the bar exam?"

"Your guess is as good as mine," Billy laughed. He leaned forward and lifted a file. As he handed it to Harry, they were interrupted by a knock on the door. "Come in!" Billy called before he dropped the file back on his desk and partially covered it with his arm.

Beaman opened the door wide enough to lean his head inside, "Sorry, sir. I don't mean to interrupt your meeting with Mr. Thornton."

Billy waved his hand to indicate Beaman could enter. He carefully stacked the files on his desk into a pile, covering the one he had tried to hand Harry with another. "What do you need, Beaman?"

"Well, sir, specifically, I need Amanda… Mrs. Stetson, sir," Beaman stuttered.

"What?" Harry interjected.

"Mr. Thornton, sir, I don't mean that the way it just sounded. No… I need her because there was a problem with one of the cameras she used during the surveillance stakeout this weekend, and I don't see her damage report," Beaman corrected.

Harry rubbed his leg with one hand and stated, "Well, I wouldn't expect you needed her for anything else, son. After all, talk like that… well… it might make people ask the wrong questions."

"Are you all right, Mr. Thornton?" Beaman asked after watching Harry for another few seconds.

"I'm fine. My damn arthritis is kicking up a bit from sitting too long, that's all. Stuff like that happens when you get older," Harry remarked.

Beaman nodded with understanding. He turned back to Billy and asked, "Well, sir, have you seen Amanda?"

"I haven't seen her yet this morning, but I'll be sure to tell Amanda you are looking for that damage report. Anything else?" Billy replied.

Beaman sighed, "Well, yes, sir. Yesterday, Amanda… Mrs. Stetson was rather upset when she left my office after her debriefing. I just don't know why she can't face the fact that Lee isn't coming home any time soon, if ever, for that matter. She's in denial or something."

Billy stood slowly, adjusted his suit vest, and stated, "She isn't in denial about anything. She believes her husband is innocent, and she's not the only one."

"But, sir, you can't honestly believe he didn't kill Dr. Smyth?" Beaman gasped.

"And you do?" Billy questioned with a slight tilt of his head.

"Well, I think… I… um… yes. Yes, I definitely think he did do it," Beaman managed.

Harry stood up and snapped, "And I think you're a damn fool, Beaman. Anyone who knows Lee knows he isn't capable of this… nonsense."

Beaman backed up to the door and stated, "Well, I can see I'm outnumbered in my beliefs in this office, so I'm just going to head back to mine."

"And I'll tell Amanda to come find you when she gets in," Billy nodded as he lowered himself back into his chair.

Beaman slipped out into the bullpen and disappeared around the corner before Harry stated, "That boy has a chip on his shoulder when it comes to Lee, doesn't he?"

"Lee and Beaman never did see eye to eye," Billy agreed. He was interrupted again by a softer knock at the door. He glanced up to see Amanda standing there, waiting. Before he could reply, Harry stood and opened the door for her, offering her a warm hug.

"Hello, Harry. It's so nice to see you. I'm sorry you had to hear about all this nastiness after the fact," Amanda whispered loudly.

Harry released her slowly but still continued to hold her hand, "I would have been here, every step of the way, had I known. But I was just telling Billy, I'm going to get Lee the best lawyer money can buy, and we are going to get him out of there."

"Thank you, Harry. That means an awful lot, but you don't have to do that," Amanda declined.

"Yes, I do. Lee… Lee is like my own boy, and family takes care of family. Now, I'm going to start making some phone calls, but you'll be hearing from me real soon, I promise," Harry assured her. He reached up and cradled her chin in one hand. "Don't lose that faith, Amanda. We'll get him out of there." He nodded in Billy's direction and left the office, leaving Amanda and Billy alone.

Amanda looked at Billy, her eyes brimming with unshed tears. "Even Harry doesn't believe it, so let him help. He won't feel right if he doesn't make the effort," Billy informed her. Amanda couldn't do anything but nod her agreement. "Oh, Beaman came in looking for you. Said something about a broken camera and a damage report. Do you know what he's talking about?"

Amanda wiped away her tears and gathered her thoughts, "Yes, sir. One of the cameras wasn't working, and when I handed it to Fielder to look at, he dropped it and smashed the lens. I'll go fill out that report and bring it to Beaman now."

"Amanda, take Fielder with you. Let him fill out the report and explain what happened. You don't need to take responsibility for someone else's inadequacies," Billy ordered.

"Will do, sir," Amanda gave him a weak smile before leaving his office.

Across town, in an upscale hotel room, a phone was ringing. The well-dressed man sitting at the table, drinking a cup of tea, answered. "We might have a problem," the voice stated.

"No, YOU might've a problem. Lem-me remind you, that from the beginning, once the deed was done, I tole you, I was no longer involved," the man stated slowly, his voice thick with a Southern drawl.

"I'm hearing talk of an appeal," the voice groaned.

"As I assumed, there would be. You didn't think Scarecrow wouldn't put up a fight, did you?" the man asked with a laugh.

"I have someone at my door. I'll be in touch," the voice on the phone stated before the man heard a click and the buzz of the disconnected line.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 6**

Lee spent the next three days anxiously waiting for his chance to call Amanda. He was able to barter one of his time blocks for a twenty-minute phone conversation. "Are you sure you wanna do that?" the officer had asked him repeatedly, but Lee insisted, "I can forgo a shower for a day to talk to my wife." The officer was actually the brother of an old friend of Lee's from his early days at the Agency. Tony recognized Lee almost immediately when he came on shift, and as he was escorting Lee to the showers, they had a quiet conversation about Lee's situation.

"You know, normally, you have to be here longer to get a privilege like that," Tony informed him softly.

Lee simply nodded, "I know, but I was hoping you'd understand. I didn't start those fights any more than I pulled the trigger. I need to let Amanda know she can't come this weekend. I don't want her to get all the way here and find out she can't see me. It's too long of a drive for that."

"So, I bring you in, you have twenty-minutes, no more, but then you have to give up the remainder of your free time that day. Those are the rules. Two hours or a twenty-minute phone call," Tony reminded him.

Lee exhaled loudly before he hung his head and stated, "It'll be worth it."

Tony looked at him with pity. "You sure she's going to be home?"

Lee gave him a weak smile and stated, "That's where I was hoping you'd help me out a little. Maybe give her a call tonight, so she can plan on it?"

Tony shook his head, "You're asking an awful lot, you know, for a guy behind bars."

"Well, your brother would be dead right now if I hadn't pulled him out of the line of fire," Lee reminded him.

"I know. And I wouldn't have my beautiful niece either, so I guess I owe you something," Tony admitted.

He escorted Lee back to his cell and stated softly, "Give me the number when I bring chow later. Write it on the inside of the napkin, and I'll call her for you."

Lee gave him a subtle nod when he noticed another guard watching them intently. He decided he needed to give the guard a show, so he loudly complained, "Thanks for the cold water in the shower today. Really got the blood pumping." He lifted his chin in the direction of the guard and added, "I'll bet tomorrow will be just as cold, too."

Tony picked up on Lee's cues and gave him a shove into the cell as he stated, "Be thankful you even get a shower, Foo'. Tomorrow you might not be so lucky." The door clanged shut behind Lee, leaving him alone in his cell once more.

Several hours later, Lee heard the distinctive snap of the bean slot opening, and Tony's deep voice filtered in, "Chow's in." Lee took the tray from him and noticed an extra napkin on the tray partially tucked under the Styrofoam plate. He slowly choked down the meal of an overcooked hamburger and baked beans before he carefully wrote their home number down on the inside of the napkin, which he folded up on the tray. He heard the bean slot open again, and Tony's voice call out, "Tray out." Lee pushed the tray toward him, his thumb holding down the napkin until the last second. Unexpectedly, he heard the tray clatter to the floor and Tony cursing, "Dammit, Foo'! You should have waited." Lee heard the other guard call out, "Another tray, Tony? What, you got butterfingers tonight or something?" Lee quickly deduced this was Tony's way of assuring he could get the napkin without calling extra attention to himself when he heard Tony state, "Something like that. And this napkin ain't cuttin' it. Grab the rest of these trays while I go wash my hands. Damn slobs." He heard the other guard laugh loudly before the bean slot snapped closed once more.

On the third day of Lee's solitary stint, Tony arrived at his cell. "Twenty minutes, that's all you get," he reminded him. He escorted Lee to a small room near the Captain's office. The only furniture in the room were two chairs, a table and a payphone attached to the wall near the window. "I'll wait out here. Your wife sounded like she might want to talk to you alone, so…"

"Thanks, Tony. I owe you for this," Lee stated as he stepped up to the phone and quickly dialed the operator. He placed the collect call and waited as the phone rang and rang on the other end. His heart sank with every ring that Amanda wasn't home until she finally answered on the fifth ring, just before the answering machine kicked on.

"Lee?" Amanda questioned, breathless. She waited until the operator explained the collect call procedures, and after accepting the charges, she breathed again, "Sweetheart?"

"Amanda," Lee sighed with a sad smile. The sound of her voice almost brought him to tears.

"Are you all right? That man that called couldn't give me a lot of information. He just told me to be home at this time, and you would be calling. What's wrong?" Amanda rushed out.

Lee hung his head and cradled the phone against his ear. "Amanda, you can't come this weekend," he started.

"What do you mean I can't come this weekend. Lee, did something happen?" Amanda demanded as she fought back the tears.

"Well, yes… something did happen…" Lee stammered.

Amanda gasped, on the other end of the phone line, "What? Lee, please, tell me what's going on?"

Lee could hear the panic in her voice and decided it was best to hide as much of the truth as he could. "Nothing… nothing's going on. I just… it's just not a good time. They moved me to another cell, it's just taking me some time to get adjusted, that's all," Lee stated. It's not a complete lie, Lee reasoned to himself.

"But… Lee… I need to see you," Amanda insisted as the tears began to fall.

"I know I need to see you too. But it's just not a good weekend to come. Please," Lee replied.

Amanda sunk down on the stool in the kitchen beside the phone, "Lee, you would tell me if something was going on, wouldn't you?" She brushed at the wet streaks on her cheeks as she waited for his answer.

Lee closed his eyes and leaned against the body of the payphone. The muscle in his cheek twitched as he fought his conscience and willfully lied again, "Of course, I would tell you. I love you, Manda."

"I love you, too, Lee," Amanda sighed. "So, what about next weekend? Can you think of any reason I wouldn't be able to see you then?"

Lee scratched at the chipped paint on the wall beside the payphone and hesitated. "I'm sure next weekend will be fine," he finally replied. As he turned, he brushed his injured arm against the phone casing and gasped in pain.

"What? What happened?" Amanda immediately demanded.

"Nothing. I just hurt my arm exercising the other day, and I just stretched the wrong way," Lee lied again.

"Oh," Amanda replied softly. "Philip had a great mock trial yesterday," Amanda began. She continued for the next few minutes telling Lee about the boys and the events in their lives she hadn't talked about in her recent letters.

"I miss them. And Dotty," Lee stated softly. "But mostly, I miss you." Amanda couldn't reply as her sobs immediately overtook her. From outside of the room, Lee heard the guard knocking on the door, alerting him his time was nearly up. "Amanda, I'm sorry. I have to go. I'll try to call you again soon. I love you." He hung up the phone as quickly as he could so Amanda wouldn't hear the sob that erupted from his chest as he slid down the wall.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 7**

Francine sat in the small viewing room as she watched the footage from the third business near Meridian Hill Park. "Doesn't anyone focus these things on the street?" she groaned aloud before ejecting the tape. On a post-it note, she jotted down the business location and her initials to confirm she reviewed it before sticking the note on the label and slipping the cassette back into its cardboard sleeve. She sighed loudly, lifted the next video, and inserted it into the machine. She jumped when she heard a knock on the door.

"Hey, Frannie, you need anything?" Fred Fielder asked as he stuck his head into the room.

Francine rolled her eyes, plastered a smile on her face, and turned to look at him. "No, Freddie, I'm all set," she replied sarcastically.

"So, ah… what are you working on?" Fielder asked.

"None of your business," she replied with a tilt of her head and a broader smile.

Fred glanced into the hallway before stepping entirely into the room. Francine leaned forward and touched her forehead in frustration. "Listen… if this is about Scarecrow… you can tell me. I can keep a secret," Fielder stated.

Francine stood and took two steps towards Fielder. She fingered his tie for a second, flashed her blue eyes upward, and, as she gave his tie a solid jerk downward, she stated, "Not on your life." She released the silky material and stepped back as Fielder regained his balance.

"Listen, Frannie, you know I'm on your side. And I like Amanda… I mean, who doesn't, right? But, Scarecrow… let me just say, as far as I'm concerned, he deserves any punishment he gets for all the crap he's put me and a lot of other guys out there through," Fred insisted with a tilt of his chin.

Francine folded her arms and snapped angrily, "I think you forget, Fielder, how many times he's saved your backside both here and out in the field. He doesn't deserve anything but respect. Smyth had plenty of enemies that would have done the same thing, given the chance."

"But Scarecrow beat them all to it," Fielder laughed.

"Get out!" Francine snapped. Her eyes narrowed angrily in his direction.

Fielder opened the door, but before he left, he quickly tossed back, "Hey, I never said I blamed the guy for what he did. His luck just ran out, and this time he got caught."

"OUT!" Francine shouted.

Fielder left Francine alone and headed over to the water cooler, where Beaman was filling a small white cup. "Yeah, I got nothing from her," he whispered loudly.

Beaman glanced over at the closed door and laughed, "She's probably not going to give up either."

"Too bad the only thing she's going to end up doing is proving he got what he had coming," Fielder shook his head. He glanced around the bullpen and said, "I should probably get back to writing that damage report for you. I'm sure Amanda already turned hers in."

"She did, but don't worry about that. I know you have some other things you're working on," Beaman assured him.

Fielder glanced over at Beaman, strangely, "Thanks, Efraim. I owe you one."

Beaman shook his head and walked away as he muttered, "You owe me more than that, Fielder."

While Francine continued to study the tapes, Billy and Lee's new lawyer were getting settled into a small consultation room at the prison. Lee was escorted in, wearing leg shackles again, his left arm covered by an ace bandage. Billy scanned Lee's bruised and battered face as the guard removed his restraints. "What the hell happened to you?" he asked.

Lee gingerly touched his stitched eyebrow and chuckled, "I made friends."

"Is that why they have you in solitary?" Billy demanded. "You made friends?"

Lee shook his head and laughed again, "I guess. Turns out, you can't fight back, or else you get in trouble for that, too." Lee looked over at the fresh-faced man sitting at the table, studying a file folder, and taking notes on a lined notepad. "Who's that?"

Billy turned his head and stated, "That is your new lawyer, thanks to Harry. Lee, meet Ambrose Justice Schortmann. Mr. Schortmann, this character here, is Lee Stetson."

Mr. Schortmann lifted his chin, pushed his wire-rimmed glasses up his nose, and smiled, "Hello, Mr. Stetson. I was just reviewing the notes of your previous lawyer." He pushed his long, lanky frame to a standing position and held his hand out to Lee.

Lee took it apprehensively and gave it a solid shake as he asked, "I don't mean to be disrespectful, but how old are you?"

Mr. Schortmann sat back down and laughed, "I get that a lot. Actually, I am twenty-eight as of last week."

"Twenty-eight? Um, Billy, can I have a word with you over here?" Lee asked tentatively. He stepped into the corner as far away from Mr. Schortmann as he could get. "What the hell is this, some kind of joke?" he demanded in a loud whisper.

Billy smiled and simply stated, "He's one of the best out there right now."

"One of the best? I have a belt older than him for crying out loud," Lee exclaimed louder than he expected.

"Mr. Stetson, if I may," Mr. Schortmann interjected. "I know I'm young, and I'm sure in most standards I appear much younger than most of my colleagues, but I can assure you, I've won almost every case in the last four years, including the Ouellette case."

"Ouellette? Isn't that the case where the husband was accused of kidnapping and the attempted murder of the nanny?" Lee questioned.

"The one and only. Mr. Joseph Ouellette works for The Stiger Companies, as does his brother, Aaron. My client, Joseph Ouellette, is the CFO, whereas his brother works in shipping. Thanks to me, we were able to identify the real culprit as Aaron, not Joseph," Mr. Schortmann explained.

"Thanks to you? You solved the case all on your own?" Lee asked sarcastically.

Mr. Schortmann nodded and stated, "Actually, yes. I was able to break down all of Joseph's movements the day the nanny was kidnapped, as well as prove the DNA found was not a match to Joseph but to Aaron based on several markers that were off slightly. No one pays attention to detail anymore. Sad."

Lee stepped closer to the young lawyer. "But how did you manage to pass the bar… what did you say… four years ago? You'd barely be out of college, never mind law school."

Mr. Schortmann smiled, "Well, I graduated high school at the top of my class when I was sixteen. I had finished my undergraduate degree in biology by the time I was nineteen. I took a year and a half off to spend time with my family abroad before coming back. I attended Harvard Law and graduated summa cum laude after two and a half years. I began working at the Nomos Firm shortly after that."

Lee slipped into the chair across from Mr. Schortmann, intrigued. "But how did you get a security clearance? You'd have to have security clearance to work my case, right, Billy?" Lee asked perplexed.

Billy sat beside Lee and explained, "It seems Mr. Schortmann has many talents in the courtroom. He recently worked on Congressman O'Neil's son's case." Lee raised an eyebrow, indicating he needed more information from Billy. "You know, the one where the kid hacked into the FBI's historical database looking for unredacted files."

"Yeah… now I remember. Wasn't he going to post that stuff on the internet or something?" Lee recalled.

"Well, he was correct with the idea that we are entitled to what is in those files; however, his approach was all wrong," Mr. Schortmann laughed.

Lee gave him a half-hearted smile and stated, "Well, I guess that's good enough for me. But I do have one more question… how did you get a name like Ambrose Justice Schortmann?"

Mr. Schortmann laughed long and loud before he explained, "Well, my Greek mother wanted to give me a name that would sound strong and imposing since my father's last name was so Jewish. So, she named me Ambrose, derived from the Greek name Ambrosios meaning immortal. Justice… well, that speaks for itself. Just, upright, righteous. I think she knew who I was going to be before anyone."

Lee laughed comfortably this time and stated, "Well, Mr. Ambrose Justice Schortmann, you sound like you might be the one to help get me out of this mess."


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 8**

Over an hour later, Lee, Billy, and Mr. Schortmann finally sorted out the last few remaining details. Lee had to admit he was impressed by Mr. Schortmann's attention to every detail and his determined resolve to right the wrong he felt was inflicted upon Lee. "I really don't know how to thank you," Lee stated after the guard announced his time was up.

"Just keep yourself out of trouble and let me handle the rest. When I make progress, I will be in touch with Mr. Melrose," Mr. Schortmann instructed.

Lee laughed and informed them, "I guess I don't have to worry about that too much. They are moving me to the Protective Custody Unit on Tuesday. I guess the captain decided I played the punching bag one too many times and feels I would do better over there."

Billy pressed his lips together tightly and asked, "Is that what you want?"

Lee shrugged his shoulders and admitted, "I don't think I have much of a choice." He stopped when the guard opened the door. "Okay, I'll see you guys soon. Oh, when they move me, I'll only be able to see you two and any clergy member. Beyond that, I have to get approval so please, tell Amanda I am doing everything I can so she can come next weekend. I didn't tell her what's going on, so keep that our little secret."

Billy nodded, "Will do. Take it easy. Mr. Schortmann and I have a long ride back to discuss everything."

"Thanks, Billy," Lee gave him a weak smile before the guard escorted him into the hallway where his leg shackles were once again placed around his ankles.

Back at the Agency, Francine was watching the remaining tape from the park when something caught her attention. She rewound the tape back and carefully studied what appeared to be the reflection of a small car speeding past the storefront window. "Well, it's not a smoking gun, but it might be something," she muttered. She exhaled loudly, stood up, and stretched her back. "Might as well get some coffee before I start on the next set of tapes from the marina," she announced to the empty room. She stepped into the hall and walked down toward the bullpen, hoping there would be a fresh pot of coffee waiting for her.

Francine was soon disappointed as she found nothing but a mostly empty carafe sitting on the warm burner. With a groan, she moved the glass carafe to the top and replaced the space with a clean one. She carefully measured out the required scoops of coffee while she rambled, "And where in my contract does it state that I have to make my own coffee. I should have my own office by now, with a secretary to make me coffee." She pressed the start button firmly before she leaned against the counter to wait for the aromatic liquid to brew.

Out of the corner of her eye, she caught the movement of a short, well-dressed man. She rolled her eyes and attempted not to make eye contact but failed when he made a full beeline in her direction. "Hello, Mr. Ebert," she said politely. "What brings you down to our section of the building today?"

Maxwell Ebert straightened his shoulders and looked up at Francine. At his full height, he was easily four inches shorter than she was. "Well, Miss Desmond, I was informed by my superiors that, like Dr. Smyth before me, I should be making rounds in every department at least once a week. It's been too long since I've been down here, in the trenches, with you folks, so to speak," the diminutive man stated in a slightly squeaky voice.

Francine coughed to cover up the grin that creased her face at the sound of his voice. "Well, Mr. Ebert, there's not much going on down here today, I'm afraid. Just your run of the mill kind of day. No big excitement. No plans for a takedown of any sort," she teased.

"Miss Desmond, I know my former profession as a mathematician researching the benefits of computerization in every field of the government doesn't sound exciting but, boy oh boy, we had a few days that were just doozies. And since I was recommended for Dr. Smyth's position from the Chief of Staff himself, you can imagine the importance of my work. Not to mention how much I can help automate and accelerate the efficiency of the Agency and all its facets," Mr. Ebert explained. "I'm sure that one day, you'll learn to appreciate my presence in a purely metaphysical way, as it will eventually lead us all into a better understanding of how humans and machines can work together cohesively, side by side." He ended his impromptu speech by closing his eyes and nodding slowly.

Francine glanced behind her and noticed her coffee had finished brewing. "Well, it all sounds fascinating. And you know what, I bet Beaman would love to hear more about what you plan to do, here at the Agency, and all the changes you might want to make. After all, he is in charge of most of our external operations, and he is the man of action," she stated with a toothy grin.

"Really? Where can I find Agent Beaman?" Mr. Ebert asked, his interest piqued.

Francine pointed down the hall, "You can find his office just around the corner."

"Excellent. Oh, and Miss Desmond. I hope you received my notice regarding any unsanctioned investigations. As I stated, all agents should only be working on Agency investigations and nothing more. No one should be using Agency time or equipment for any personal matters," Mr. Ebert reminded her.

"Of course, Mr. Ebert. I'll just be sure to pass that message along," Francine stated as she poured her coffee.

Mr. Ebert eyed her carefully before he asked, "And what might you be working on today? I'm sure you're not just sitting around pushing papers around, so you must be working on something."

Francine took a long draw of her coffee and said, "I am working on some surveillance tapes. You know, going through things, looking for what is out of place. Like those new books that just came out… Where's Waldo? Find the proverbial needle in a haystack. And I must get back to those. They are not going to watch themselves, you know." She quickly moved away back into the small viewing room with a loud exhale. "Well, that was close. I better finish these up before he comes looking for me again."

She pushed the first videocassette from the boathouse at the marina into the machine and sat back in her chair to watch. As the silent video began, she scanned the angle and image carefully, making notes. As it continued, she recognized a familiar figure step into the scene. "Well, well, well. I finally got lucky for once," she muttered as she watched the image of Dr. Smyth stroll slowly down the dock, a glowing cigarette dangling from the long, elegant holder. He stopped, peered out over the water before turning around abruptly as if something drew his attention.

From the corner of the screen, Francine watched as the distinct image of a gun followed by the hand and arm that held it steady. Several seconds later, a bright flash emanated from the muzzle of the weapon, which was followed by Dr. Smyth collapsing on the dock. Immediately, Francine tensed as she realized she was watching the exact moment he was killed. She held her breath as a shadowy figure stepped forward and pushed the lifeless body of Austin Smyth into the cold, dark water below.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 9**

The next morning, Amanda pulled up in front of Jamie's school to drop him off. Jamie sat sullenly beside her, slumped in the seat, staring at the backpack in his lap. "I have to work until three-thirty today, so your grandmother will pick you up," she began.

"Yeah," Jamie grunted beside her.

"Sweetheart," Amanda sighed. She tried to reach out to touch him, but Jamie leaned away from her. "Jamie, I wish you would stop being so angry with me."

"Why should I?" he snapped.

Amanda studied his profile, and she knew from his tightly clenched jaw and twitching nose that he wasn't going to back down any time soon. "Jamie, how many times do I have to say I'm sorry. We never meant to hurt you or your brother or your grandmother. We did what we did to try to keep everyone safe," Amanda explained again.

"Well, it's a little late for that now, don't you think?" he immediately snapped back.

Amanda held her breath before she replied, "You're right. It is a little late, but I can't change the past. All we can do is move forward and get through this together as a family."

Jamie snatched his backpack up and looked at her, his hazel eyes intense, "Well, maybe I don't want to be part of this family anymore." He shoved the car door open and ran toward the building.

"Oh, Sweetheart," Amanda whispered as she got out to close the still-open door. She climbed into the drivers' seat and said, "We're going to get through this. We can't give up hope that this nightmare is going to end soon." She pulled away from the curb and drove to the Agency, completely immersed in her own thoughts. She made her way to the Q Bureau and unlocked the door.

Amanda closed her eyes as memories of her and Lee together in the office, flooded her mind. She fought the tears that formed once again, as they had every day since Lee was arrested. She sat at her desk quietly for a moment before glancing over at Lee's. She knew it was only going to be a matter of time before someone else was assigned to the Q Bureau with her. She only hoped they could get Lee home before that happened.

Amanda began looking through the daily report Francine had left on her desk. She jotted down the three meetings mentioned in her agenda book before she pushed it aside to complete her surveillance report for Beaman. She was lost in thought when the door opened beside her, startling her.

"Hey there, Amanda," Fred Fielder smiled. "I thought I might find you up here already."

Amanda forced a smile on her face, "Hello, Fred. What can I do for you?"

Fred closed the door behind him and moved around her desk to sit on the edge of Lee's. "Well, a couple of things, I guess. First, I want to thank you for writing up that damage report. I know I was supposed to do it, but Beaman gave me a pass on it since you had already done it," he stated.

Amanda looked down at the report before her and nodded, "That's fine. It wasn't anything, really. I knew it had to be done. Lee wasn't good at keeping up on his reports either so…" Her voice trailed off as soon as she began talking about Lee.

Fred's smile widened as he added, "That brings me to the next reason I'm here. I heard through the grapevine that Ebert wants to assign another agent up here with you to make the process more effective, and since you and I worked together so well last weekend, I was thinking I should put in for the job. You know, you and me… partners."

Amanda inhaled sharply. "Oh?" she questioned softly.

"Yeah, Ebert is some kind of a stickler on efficiency, and he's trying to revamp all the departments. His only other suggestion was to completely eliminate the Q Bureau and absorb all these cases into another department, but Beaman explained that wouldn't be a good idea. After all, these are the mystery cases and who else handled them better than you and Scarecrow, right? But we all know, you were the brains behind this operation," Fielder complimented her.

Amanda closed her eyes and chose her words carefully, "Thank you for that vote of confidence, Fred. I'm sure that whatever Mr. Ebert decides to do with the Q Bureau will be the right decision. After all, he is the new man in charge."

"Well, just think about it," Fred suggested. He opened his mouth to add something, but the phone jangled on the desk beside him.

"I should probably get that," Amanda held her finger up. "Q Bureau. Oh, hello. Hang on one second. I have someone at my desk." Amanda turned back to Fred and explained, "I really have to take this, so unless you have anything else for me…."

Fred shook his head and stood up. "No, that's all I got. I'll see you downstairs at the meeting."

As Fred closed the door behind him, Amanda turned back to the phone, "Thanks for saving me, Francine."

Downstairs in the bullpen, Francine was sitting at her desk. She laughed at Amanda's admission and asked, "Please tell me, what did I save you from so early this morning?"

Amanda relaxed at the sound of Francine's voice. Despite all the differences they had in the past, they had become good friends and even closer during the trial. "Fred Fielder was here telling me how he wants to be partners in the Q Bureau," Amanda explained.

"Please tell me you're joking," Francine begged with a groan.

Amanda laughed at Francine's reaction, "Oh, no. He was serious. He said something about how Mr. Ebert is all about being efficient and effective and how he thinks every department needs to be revamped. He even went as far as to say Mr. Ebert might shut down the Q Bureau."

"Well, you and I both know that will never happen," Francine assured her.

"Well, I hope not," Amanda sighed. "But, I guess that's a worry for another day. So, I know saving me from Fred wasn't the only reason you called," Amanda stated.

"No, it sure wasn't," Francine agreed. "Amanda, I need your help with something this morning. I was watching some of the surveillance tapes, and there's something I need you to see."

Amanda sat straighter in her chair. "Is it about Lee?" she asked tensely.

"I can't really say until you take a look at it," Francine stated cryptically.

"Okay, then. I guess I'll have to see it for myself," Amanda replied. "I'll be down in a few minutes."

Francine glanced up to see Beaman and Fielder heading in her direction. "Make it quick. And don't tell anyone you're coming to see me," she instructed just before she hung up the phone. "Well, look who it is… Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dumber," Francine drawled sarcastically.

Beaman rolled his eyes at her, "Very funny, Blondie. What's the matter? You couldn't find the Get Smarter potion this morning?"

"Actually, I escaped down the rabbit hole and found my way into the Queen of Hearts garden party with you two jokers," she teased as she stood up.

Fielder narrowed his eyes at her and stated seriously, "I don't get it."

Beaman tipped his head in Fielder's direction to explain, "Alice in Wonderland? Off with her head? The Cheshire cat?"

Fielder looked around the room skittishly as he searched his memory for the references. After several long seconds, he asked, "Are you talking about the movie with the caterpillar that smokes a hookah pipe?"

"Hopeless," Francine groaned as she walked away into the hallway. She turned the corner and headed in the direction of the elevators, all the while keeping an eye on Beaman and Fielder through the glass windows. She sauntered and waited until they turned the corner into the conference room. She exhaled and nervously tapped her nails on the file in her hands as she waited for Amanda. When Amanda finally emerged from the elevator, Francine linked her arm in hers and rushed her down the hall to the small viewing room.

"Okay, Francine, what gives? What has you so uptight right now?" Amanda questioned after Francine locked the door behind them.

Francine lifted the remote and pointed it at the small viewing screen. "Just watch and tell me what you see," she stated firmly. Amanda watched the same scene Francine saw the previous day and even cringed when she saw Dr. Smyth's body pushed into the water.

"Okay, so you found the video. But you can't really see anything other than… well… THAT," Amanda stated matter-of-factly.

"That's what I thought, too, until I saw this." Francine ejected one video and pushed in a second. "Same dock, different angle. Now, tell me what you see."

Amanda watched the screen and narrated what she was seeing, "Okay. I barely see Dr. Smyth now. That boat is sort of blocking him. Now, I see that shadowy man that shot him. And the shadow man just pushed him in the water. What am I supposed to see?" Amanda looked up at Francine, her eyebrows high and inquisitive.

Francine shook her head and explained, "Watch it again, but don't watch Dr. Smyth."

"Don't watch Dr. Smyth? What do you mean, don't watch…" Amanda questioned, completely confused.

"Just keep your eye on the side of the monitor," Francine stated. She pressed play once more, and again, Amanda stared intently at the screen.

"Wait… is that… did I just see…" Amanda stuttered. She twisted her head and asked, "Was that a second person on the scene?"

Francine grinned as she stated, "Bingo!"


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 10**

Dotty lowered her tea and sighed, "Amanda, I think maybe we need to sit down with someone and have a long talk with Jamie. I'm really worried about him."

Amanda looked sadly at her mother, "I am, too, Mother, but I think we just need to wait this out a little longer. Francine found something today that might be important, so Billy and Lee's new lawyer are coming over to discuss it."

Dotty patted Amanda's hand and said, "You know I love you, and I love Lee more than I ever thought I would. From what I saw, he was a wonderful husband, and he was starting to win Jamie over until this whole mess began. But this my grandson we are talking about. It hurts me to see how much he is hurting. He's angry all the time, and that's not like him. He's always been a sensitive child, but this… this is very different."

"I know, Mother. And the fact that he's a teenager now and all those hormones… Do you remember what Philip was like when he was that age? He wasn't much better," Amanda reminded her.

"But Philip didn't have to deal with what Jamie is dealing with right now. First, he finds out that his mother got married without telling anyone. And just as he starts to get comfortable, his new stepfather is arrested and charged with murdering someone. Then he finds out both his mother and her new husband that he barely knows works for a government agency, and they can't talk about their work because of national security concerns," Dotty lectured.

Amanda nodded at each point Dotty made. "I know, Mother. I just don't know what to do," she admitted.

"Well, it's probably a good thing the boys aren't going to be here tonight. That will give you a little bit of a break anyway," Dotty stated before taking a sip of her tea.

Amanda raised her head, "What do you mean the boys aren't going to be here? Where are they going to be?"

"At Joe's. Jamie called him as soon as he got home and told him he needed to come pick them up, like Joe was some kind of taxi service or something," Dotty expressed with a wave of her hand.

Amanda slumped on the stool slightly as she admitted, "I guess that might be for the best tonight." Amanda closed her eyes as she thought about Jamie's behavior in the car that morning. She knew she had to do something about Jamie, but she was so lost how to help both her son and her husband. She sighed once more and added, "They won't be here to listen to any of the details about the case that might lead them to ask questions I don't have answers for yet."

"What time will they be here?" Dotty asked over the rim of her teacup.

Amanda glanced down at her watch. She sat up straighter and announced, "They should be here any minute. Billy said around five, and it's a few minutes of. Maybe I should make a pot of coffee for everyone."

Dotty gave her a tentative smile, "Well, I did make some cookies this morning. I was going to use them to cheer Jamie up, but he wasn't interested. Joe and the boys left just before you got home."

"Thank you, Mother. I know I can always count on you," Amanda replied softly.

"Well, I just wish you confided in me a lot earlier than you did. I feel like I missed out on so much. My only daughter fell in love with a wonderful, handsome man and got married, only I wasn't included in her happiness," Dotty scolded her.

Amanda sighed, "I said I was sorry. You said you understood, Mother."

"I said I understood. I didn't say I liked it," Dotty punctuated her comment by raising her hand. She opened her mouth to continue but was interrupted by the doorbell. "Saved by the bell, I guess. I'll just get out of your hair."

"No, Mother, I want you to stay. To meet… Mr… oh shoot, I already forgot his name," Amanda giggled. She jogged to the front door and pulled it open. "Hello, sir. Harry. Francine… and…" she let her sentence hang until Billy smiled and stated, "Mr. Schortmann."

"Yes, yes. Please, come on in. Most of you know my mother, Dotty West," Amanda smiled politely.

"It's very nice to see you again, Mrs. West," Harry stated in his typical jovial tone.

Dotty blushed, "Please, call me Dotty."

"Well, then, Dotty. I'm sorry we have to meet again under these circumstances, but it's always a pleasure nonetheless," Harry stated.

"Here, why don't we sit in the family room where we can see the television as well," Amanda stated as she began walking through the living room into the family room. She took a seat in the chair, leaving plenty of room for everyone else to sit.

Mr. Schortmann looked around the room, studied the pictures on the bookcase, and stated, "You have a lovely home. And a lovely family. If I didn't know any better, I would almost say that this boy could be Lee's son." He pointed to a picture Amanda had taken of Lee and Jamie together. He saw the sadness in Amanda's face and immediately changed the subject. "Miss Desmond was telling us in the car that you may have found something on a surveillance video?"

"We did. Amanda, can you help me with this?" Francine stated as she handed Amanda the first cassette. Amanda knelt on the floor by the machine and pushed the on-button for the television. The screen flickered from a snowy pattern to the black and white images of the dock. Dotty settled herself on the arm of the couch and watched intently as the mysterious killer shot and killed Dr. Smyth before pushing his body into the water.

"That's… that's just awful. How can you watch that?" Dotty stated, covering her mouth with one hand.

"We have to, Mother. It's part of our job to watch videos like this, so we can bring people to justice," Amanda explained.

Mr. Schortmann made a few notes on the pad before him as he said, "This doesn't look like anything we can use to our benefit. You can't really see who the shooter might be. The most you can make out is he is wearing some kind of dark clothes and a baseball cap."

"He? How can you even tell that's a he?" Dotty waved her hand at the television. "If you ask me, I would have to give that person a five."

"A five, Mrs. West?" Francine questioned.

"You know… on a scale of one to ten. That man… person… only a five… Lee… now he is an eleven. And do you know that for the longest time, Amanda didn't want to date him? I couldn't figure, for the life of me, why not?" Dotty explained. "Then, to my surprise, I found out she wasn't just dating him… they got married right under our noses. It makes me wonder what else was going on that we didn't know about." Amanda looked down at the carpet, her face red with embarrassment. "I'm sorry, but I can't watch anymore of this. How about I get that coffee and cookies?"

"Thank you, Dotty, that sounds lovely," Harry stated with a smile.

Dotty smiled back and left the room as Francine suggested, "Amanda, let's show them the other tape." Amanda gave her a sharp nod and switched the videotapes in the machine. "Now, keep your eye on the screen closest to Amanda," Francine stated.

Billy's jaw dropped as he saw what Amanda and Francine noticed. He turned to Harry, who's expression was a near mirror image. Mr. Schortmann adjusted his glasses and asked, "Can I see that again?" Amanda rewound the tape and watched as he focused on the scene before him. "There was a second person there. A man it looks like," he exclaimed.

Amanda smiled, "That's what we saw, too."

"Dammit, why didn't this come out before?" Harry demanded.

"If I had to guess, it's because that joker Lee had before never bothered to question anyone else at the marina for their surveillance tapes. The police only had a view similar to the first one we watched. They didn't see the need to search for anything else once they had this," Billy explained.

Francine huffed indignantly, "Well, it's a good thing Lee still has us on his side, then, isn't it?"

"You bet, Francine," Billy agreed. "So, Mr. Schortmann, what do you think?"

Mr. Schortmann placed his pen down and said, "I don't think it's enough. That just proves someone else was there with him, it doesn't say he wasn't the shooter."


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 11**

Amanda's eyes were wide as she questioned, "What do you mean this isn't enough?" She looked at the frozen image on the screen. The longer she stared at the screen, a sense of familiarity set in. "Francine, do you see how that man is standing?"

Francine studied the image, "It's oddly familiar. I feel like I know someone who stands like that."

"Me, too. But I can't place it," Amanda insisted.

"I wish we could just bring these back to the Agency and print off the images, but Ebert has put a clampdown on everything," Billy pressed his lips together firmly.

Mr. Schortmann raised his pen and offered, "I might be able to help out with that. I have a friend that's a private investigator. He has all kinds of equipment. I'm sure he could print this out."

Billy nodded, "Good. Well, I guess that about wraps up everything we have for tonight. Unless anyone else can add something?"

"What about the gun that was used?" Mr. Schortmann asked. "How much testing was done on that?"

"Ballistics confirmed it was fired from Lee's gun. Lee's fingerprints were all over it. From what we can see in the video, I would say it sure looks like a Glock," Francine informed him.

Mr. Schortmann wrote down everything Francine explained then added, "It might be worth going over again. The gun, the clip, the bullets. Check everything."

"The locals still have the gun as evidence," Billy reminded him.

"Well, I'll put in a request for retrieval, stating my position as Mr. Stetson's new lawyer, I want a fresh review of the evidence," Mr. Schortmann stated. "That'll take some time, unfortunately."

"Well, Lee isn't going anywhere," Harry joked.

Billy agreed, "No, he isn't. But he is getting moved to the Protective Custody unit on Tuesday." He watched as Amanda's eyes widened. Realizing his mistake, he quickly added, "For his own safety. It seems he knows a few more inmates than they anticipated, so they're moving him for his own safety."

"Sir, what does that mean for visitors?" Amanda questioned.

"Don't you worry about that, Amanda. I'll do my best to see you have no problems getting to see Lee," Harry assured her.

Sunday afternoon, Lee was alerted he had a visitor. Confused, he shuffled along after the guard while he was brought to a small meeting room. He entered the room and noticed a man dressed entirely in black, a colorful stole resting around his neck. The guard removed his shackles and stated, "I'll leave you alone with the father."

"The father?" Lee asked, completely confused. The man didn't turn around until the guard closed the door completely. Lee's face brightened when he recognized the man standing before him, "Harry?"

"Remember, that's Father Harry to you, son," Harry teased. He tipped his head to the side slightly as he added, "The good Lord is always listening."

"That is so true," Lee understood as he held out his hand. Harry took it and pulled him into a tight hug. "What are you doing dressed like that?" Lee whispered softly in Harry's ear.

"It was the only way I could get in here," Harry explained softly. He released Lee and stated louder, "Come, my son. We should sit together and pray over your predicament."

Lee sat across from Harry at the small table. "Have you seen my wife? The boys?" Lee asked.

"I have. Your wife misses you greatly, and your boys are troubled," Harry explained as priestly as he could.

Lee nodded sadly. He knew the stress his situation must be putting Amanda under, and it saddened him to know it was hurting the boys as well. "I've written a letter to the Warden every day, asking to see Amanda, but so far I haven't heard anything. You know, this is the longest we've been apart in almost five years."

Harry watched the emotions flicker across Lee's face. "I'll see what I can do. Maybe a conversation with your pastor will help," Harry assured him. "But I see you've had an altercation," Harry reached out and touched Lee's arm.

Lee rubbed the bandage self-consciously, "Sort of. I was on the wrong end of a sharp instrument."

"And here?" Harry brushed his finger along Lee's stitched eyebrow.

"Yeah… there, too. Got a couple of cracked ribs thanks to a guard with a heavy foot," Lee explained as he touched his still tender midsection.

Harry smoothed his beard with one hand as he asked, "But you're safe?"

"I'm in solitary right now. It doesn't get any safer than that, I can assure you," Lee joked. He sobered slightly and added, "Tuesday they're moving me to Protective Custody. I'll have more freedom but fewer friends, I guess. That also means limited visitors."

Harry reached out and touched Lee's arm once more, "I'll do my best. Now, let's pray." They sat together in silence, Harry holding Lee's hands. He gave them a firm squeeze before he stated, "I'll see about that meeting with the warden. You take care of yourself." He stood and rapped on the glass window of the door. Lee stayed seated until the guard escorted Harry out, and a second guard brought him back to his cell. He sat on the narrow bunk and began to write another letter to the warden as well as a letter to Amanda.

As the guard began leading Harry to the exit, Harry requested an immediate meeting with the warden. "Father, the warden normally only meets visitors by appointment," the guard explained.

"Son, I have traveled over six hours to be here. I'm sure the warden will understand the short notice," Harry stated softly.

The guard shrugged his shoulders and said, "Follow me." He zigzagged through various hallways until they reached an area of the prison that resembled an office building more than the secure facility behind it. "Warden Ryan's office is right here. I'll let him know you're waiting," he explained. Harry sat on the edge of a hard plastic chair in a small waiting area. The guard appeared a minute later, "The warden said you can come right in, Father."

Harry gave him a warm smile and entered the office. A tall, thin man stood and reached out his hand, "Welcome, Father. I am Warden Ryan. Officer Brooks tells me you wanted a word with me regarding an inmate in our facility."

"Yes, I am here to speak to you on behalf of Lee Stetson," Harry smiled again.

"Have a seat, please," Warden Ryan gestured to the chair across from his massive wooden desk. Both men settled themselves down, and Warden Ryan continued. "What can I help you with?"

"Well, Mr. Stetson's wife is hurting tremendously with her husband's absence, as are their children. It would benefit her greatly to be able to see him, if only for a few minutes. I'm sure you can understand that," Harry stated.

Warden Ryan nodded and leaned back in his chair. "Her plight is not unlike that of any other wife of any other inmate here. Why should I make an exception for one and not the others?"

Harry exhaled, "Well, for starters, there is an appeal-in-process as new evidence has come to light in Mr. Stetson's case. He has always protested his innocence and knowing Lee as long as I have, I believe him."

Warden Ryan laughed loudly, "They're all innocent, Father. At least that's what they all want you to believe. Only the court sees things very differently, as does the evidence." He reached over to a pile of file folders and lifted one from the stack. "I have seven letters written by Mr. Stetson in the last few days requesting visitations be allowed from his wife. Unfortunately, he's only been here for six weeks and has been in two altercations already. On the same day, mind you."

"Let me ask you this… did he instigate either of those? Or did he just fight back as he felt he was threatened?" Harry questioned.

"No, he didn't instigate either one. But he did fight back," Warden Ryan admitted.

"So, would you care to admit that the fact he is… was… a federal agent puts him at more risk than the average inmate?" Harry continued.

Warden Ryan nodded, "I suppose it does."

Harry grinned slightly and added, "And should that federal agent get released, you wouldn't want him to have anything bad to say about this institution and the people who run it, now would you?"

Warden Ryan cocked his head slightly, narrowed his eyes, and stated, "That almost sounds like a threat, Father."

"No, not at all. Only an observation," Harry assured him. "Now, Mr. Stetson informed me he was being moved to Protective Custody, not by his own choice. So, why should his right to visitors also be taken away?"

Warden Ryan sighed, "Mr. Stetson's safety, as is the safety of everyone at the facility, is what is most important. And I will confirm, he did not request the move, the guards in Block Three thought it would be best for him to be out of the general population as it seems he knows a few of our more permanent residents." He folded his arms and stared at Harry for a solid minute before he finally conceded. "Fine. I will grant Mr. Stetson's request for visitations from his wife, ONLY on the condition, he stays out of trouble. Any more fights and that allowance will be immediately terminated."

Harry gave Warden Ryan a toothy grin and stated, "You have made an excellent decision, son. I promise you will not regret it."


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 12**

True to his word, Harry informed Amanda he was able to get her added to Lee's visitor list. The week passed much too slow for her. Writing reports and reviewing old case files became Amanda's personal torture. Things weren't much easier at home. Jamie begged to stay at Joe's indefinitely. When Amanda refused to allow it, he fought back angrily. Each afternoon after school, he locked himself in his room and refused to come out. Dotty resorted to bringing him his meals and leaving the dish on a small table she set up beside his door. Philip's behavior was better; however, he continually nagged at her to allow him to visit Lee as well. She tried to explain it wasn't going to be possible, based on what Harry told her, but Philip thought she was lying just to keep him at home.

Saturday morning, Amanda woke up just before six. She had butterflies in her stomach, so much so, she could barely eat. Dotty woke just before she left. "Amanda, you'll give Lee a hug from me, right?" she requested.

"I'll try, Mother. I'm not sure how this works… if I'm allowed to hug him or even touch him," Amanda replied. The thought of not being able to feel his hands in hers brought tears to her eyes.

"And you have the letter I wrote to him?" Dotty reminded her.

Amanda blinked rapidly as she smiled, "I do. Along with Philip's letter and the one I hadn't mailed yet." She patted her purse for emphasis.

Dotty looked sadly at the leather bag, "You couldn't convince Jamie?"

"No," Amanda shook her head. "He didn't even want to talk to me. I finally convinced him to let me in his room for a few minutes last night, but… Oh, Mother, what am I going to do with him?" she lamented.

"We will figure it out, Darling, don't you worry. Now, you go see Lee, and I'll take care of everything here. You sure you're going to be okay driving all that way alone?" Dotty asked.

"I'm sure. I better get going. I'll call you when I check into the motel. If I can see him again tomorrow, I'm going to try," Amanda stated softly. She hugged Dotty and left quickly before the tears slid down her cheeks. The drive was long and monotonous. Amanda stopped twice to get gas and stretch her legs before arriving at the facility just before one o'clock. She entered the area of the building marked "Visitors" and proceeded to the rounded desk. She immediately noticed the solid glass enclosure around the top of the desk. "Hello, my name is Amanda Stetson. I'm here to see my husband, Lee. Lee Stetson. I was told I am on his visitor's list," she gave the guard a weak smile.

"Let me check on that for you. If you wouldn't mind taking a seat right over there," he pointed to a small waiting area filled with other people waiting to see loved ones. Amanda tentatively stepped into the room and leaned against the wall as far away from everyone as she could. She checked her watch continuously as the minutes ticked by until finally, a guard appeared and called out, "Stetson!"

"Here," Amanda called back as cheerfully as she could. She shuffled past several questionable smelling individuals to reach the guard.

"Follow me," he stated. He brought her to a small room containing a metal detector, a table, and a row of lockers. A female officer sat behind the table, looking bored. "Please leave your purse in a locker," he stated.

"Can I… I have a few letters for my husband…" she stuttered nervously.

The guard groaned, "Take them out, leave them on the table for examination. Place your purse in the locker and proceed through the metal detector." Amanda did precisely as he instructed. As she stepped through the detector, it immediately began to chime. "Take everything out of your pockets," the guard instructed in a bored tone.

Amanda pulled out her empty pockets and shook her head, "I haven't got anything in my pockets. See?"

"Stand here," he instructed. He held out a flat detector wand and ran it up one side of Amanda's body and down the other. The metal detector chimed again when he ran the wand near Amanda's chest.

"Oh, I was shot," Amanda began to explain. The guard looked at her with an expression of disbelief. "I was shot last year… I still have a small fragment of the bullet lodged in my rib. Can I show you the scar?" She raised her eyebrows, hoping the guard would believe her.

The female guard stood beside her male counterpart. "Where is it?"

Amanda unbuttoned the top three buttons of her shirt and pulled the material to the side, exposing the angry, puckered scar on her chest. "We were in California on our honeymoon when it happened," she explained.

"I still need to pat you down," the female guard instructed. Amanda nodded, lifted her arms, and allowed the guard to complete the examination. "She's clean. I'm sorry to hear that happened to you. Not the best memory of that time, I'm sure."

Amanda gave her another weak smile. The male guard handed the female guard the letters and stated, "They're clean. Now, follow me. I'll bring you in. Stetson's being brought down now."

"Thank you," she nodded. She followed him to the next room where she saw a row of sectioned off seats lined one wall. She sat down in the seat the guard directed her to and waited. Several minutes later, she saw Lee through the glass wall. Her heart skipped a beat, and her eyes immediately teared up at his appearance. She couldn't help notice the yellow and green bruising on his face, the large Band-Aid on his arm, and from the way he held his arm close to his side, she knew his ribs were injured.

Amanda waited until he was settled in the seat opposite hers before she lifted the phone receiver on the partition wall beside her. Once Lee lifted his receiver, she couldn't stop the words as they tumbled from her lips. "Oh my gosh, Sweetheart! What happened to you?" she cried.

Lee touched his eyebrow and shook his head, "I'll be all right. I just met a few friends I haven't seen in awhile, that's all. I've been moved away from them now, so that shouldn't happen again any time soon."

"Oh," Amanda gasped. She raised her hand to touch the cold glass that separated them. "Mother wanted me to tell you she misses you," she stated sadly.

Lee gave her a weak smile, "I have to admit, I miss her too." He reached up and aligned his hand with hers. He became instantly angry at the feel of the cold glass instead of her warm, soft fingers. "Dammit, Amanda. This is killing me."

"I know, Sweetheart," she cried softly. "I thought Billy said he was able to spend time with you in an open room, not like this."

"Yeah, well… that was before I made friends," Lee snapped angrily. He looked at her sad face and softened his tone, "Besides, I heard there was a fight last in the common visitor room, so all visitations are going to be like this for the rest of the weekend."

"Oh," Amanda sighed again. She looked into his hazel eyes and said, "The guard has a few letters from us. I was going to mail them but thought since I was going to see you anyway… maybe it was better to hand-deliver them." As if on cue, a guard appeared and handed Lee the three envelopes. "One's from me, there's one from Mother, and the other one is from Philip."

"Jamie's still mad I take it?" Lee asked. He fingered the edge of one of the envelopes, unsure if he should open them now or wait.

"He'll come around, I know he will," Amanda tried to assure him. "Look at how mad he was when he found out we were already married. Remember how many times the boys tried to drop hints about how they wanted us to get married, and Jamie was so excited when you agreed to move in."

Lee laughed softly at the memory of the boys joking around with him, telling him he was going to make a great step-father after he took them out for the day. They had gone back to his apartment, and Jamie kept insisting it wasn't big enough, and Lee needed to move into the house on Maplewood with them. They were so happy that day when Lee finally agreed as long as Amanda agreed, which was never a question. Lee had been living with them for just over two weeks when Jamie accidentally found their marriage certificate, tucked into one of Lee's favorite books. "He didn't talk to either one of us for a week," Lee reminisced.

"But, he finally came around, didn't he?" Amanda reminded him.

"Yeah, but I could tell he didn't trust me as much after that. Every time I said something… anything… he would question it," Lee stated sadly. He allowed his hand to slide down the glass partition slowly. "Did you talk to Billy and the lawyer at all?" he asked, changing the subject.

Amanda slowly removed her hand from the glass and nodded, "I did. We found something… on one of the videos… there was a second person there, not just the shooter."

"A second person? Who was it?" Lee immediately demanded.

Amanda shrugged her shoulders, "We don't know. The camera angle is bad, and there's a spotlight blurring part of the image, but you can clearly see a second person. And there's something familiar about it. You know how you see someone, and you may not see their face, but there's something about the way they stand or the way they move that you know who it is?"

"Yeah, kind of like how Fielder always runs his hand through his hair when he's nervous, or Francine folds her arms when she's thinking. Or even how Alexi used to roll the coin across his knuckles like Sonia did. It's called mannerisms. Everyone has their own," Lee explained.

"Right. So, there's something about the mannerisms of this particular person. I know I've seen it before, but I can't quite put my finger on it. Francine has the same feeling," Amanda replied.

Lee smiled at his wife, "Well, it doesn't surprise me. You've become just as good, if not better, at recognizing things like that than Francine."

"Aw, Sweetheart," Amanda blushed at his rare compliment.

They spent the next forty minutes talking about what was going on in their lives. Lee gave Amanda a brief explanation about why he was moved to Protective Custody, as he tried to spare her any additional worries. He left out the part about being in solitary, hoping silently that she would forgive him later on if she ever found out the truth. Amanda rambled on about working with Fielder and how he wanted to become her new partner to which Lee interjected, "Over my dead body," drawing a nervous laugh from Amanda.

A guard appeared behind Lee, signaling his time was almost up. "I'm going to come back tomorrow before I drive back home. Don't worry, Sweetheart. I love you." Amanda told him.

A single tear found its way down Amanda's cheek, unchecked.

"I love you. Amanda, I'm sorry you have to be put through all of this, but I promise, we'll get through it," Lee reached up and touched the glass once more.

Amanda fought back more tears as she mirrored his actions and insisted, "Together. We're going to get through this together."

"You bet we will," Lee assured her with a weak smile. He balled up his hand into a tight fist, repeating, "You bet we will."


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 13**

Although she didn't know it, while Amanda was driving home late Sunday afternoon, back in DC, two men were having a phone conversation about Lee. "Where is my money?" the voice on the phone bellowed, his southern accent becoming more prominent the longer he spoke. "I tole you. I wasn't gonna wait 'round much longer. I want my money."

"And I told you, you would get your money as soon as I know Stetson isn't getting out of this. I need to be sure I'm completely in the clear," his partner responded softly.

The man with the Southern accent grunted, "You think they're just gonna let him up and walk outta there? Think again. They convicted him of murder… murder! You don't get a pass on that… a simple slap on the wrist. But don't you worry. He's gonna be swinging in the breeze before you know it."

"You talked to your man on the inside?" his partner asked excitedly.

"He's already been hurt once… turns out he cuts a lot easier than we expected," the man explained with a laugh.

His partner heard voices nearby, "Good. I'll get you your money as soon as the judge denies his first appeal."

"This will be over long before that, Mr.-" the man began, but his partner cut him off quickly, "I told you no names on the phone!" The man answered with a resounding click as he hung up the phone. His partner stared at the receiver in his hand and shook his head. "Someday, I'll get the respect I deserve."

Amanda arrived home just as her mother was taking the dinner plates off the table. "Oh, I'm sorry, Mother. I tried to get home earlier, but it took me longer than I expected," Amanda sighed. She dropped her overnight bag on the floor by the laundry room and sunk onto one of the stools in the kitchen.

"Amanda, I really wish you'd brought someone else with you for that long ride. You look exhausted," Dotty declared, her hands filled with dirty dishes.

"I'm just a little tired, Mother. I think I'm more emotionally exhausted than physically, to be honest. I was thinking about Jamie the entire ride home and what to do about him," Amanda admitted.

Dotty studied Amanda's face and stated, "Before we get into a conversation about Jamie, tell me. How's Lee doing?"

Amanda shook her head, "He got into some kind of fight although he brushed it off. I know he did it because he didn't want me to worry, but I still do."

"I hate to say it, Amanda, but those things are to be expected. I miss him, too, but I've heard all kinds of stories on what goes on in those places and, well, maybe he'll stay out of trouble by getting a job or something," Dotty suggested. "I've heard they have a laundry or the library or maybe even a job in the kitchen. He is a good cook."

Amanda grimaced, "I don't think that's really an option yet, Mother. But, enough about that. It makes me sadder just thinking about it. How was Jamie this weekend? Was he any better without me here?"

Dotty dropped the dishes into the soapy water and said, "Well, I'm not sure what to tell you, but I can tell you this. I was able to entice him out for dinner tonight at the table with Philip and me."

"Really?" Amanda's face brightened. "How'd you manage to do that?"

Dotty slipped the vinyl kitchen gloves on her hands and stated, "Easy. I didn't bring him lunch today, and I told him if he wanted dinner, he was going to have to come down and eat at the table. Sort of like what I did to you when you were about eight, and you didn't want to leave your room because you hated your new haircut."

"Mother," Amanda groaned. "There's a big difference between what Jamie is going through and my bad haircut."

"Yes, but the end result was the same. You both came out looking for food. He is your son after all," Dotty stated with a wave of the sponge in her hand.

Amanda chuckled softly as she groaned again, "Mother." She stood up and sighed, "I suppose I should try talking to him again, then."

Dotty gave Amanda a weak smile and nodded, "He's in a better mood than he has been so it might work."

Amanda jogged up the stairs and quietly knocked on Jamie's bedroom door. "Jamie? Can I talk to you for a few minutes?" she asked softly. From inside the room, she heard his muffled reply, "If you have too." She pushed the door open and found her son sitting on his bed, an open book beside him. "Whatcha reading?" she asked as she sat beside him. Jamie simply shrugged his shoulders and pushed the book toward her. "Oh, Lenin… isn't this the book Lee got you last Christmas?" she asked.

"Yeah, so," Jamie grunted. He sighed, picked up the book, and explained, "We're studying the difference between communism, socialism, Marxism, and Leninism in school so I thought maybe this would help me understand it a little bit." He dropped the book back onto the bed and pulled his knees up to his chest.

"Jamie," she whispered as she placed her hand on his knee. "I wish…" her voice trailed off as she fought the tears that filled her eyes.

"What, Mom? What do you wish? Do you wish we were all a big happy family again? We're not. You know why? Because you and Lee lied to us," Jamie snapped.

Amanda looked down at her hands. She toyed with her wedding rings and stated softly, "I know we did. We didn't mean to hurt you. We did it all to keep you safe. We work with some pretty scary people, and we just thought that if we didn't tell you about our jobs, then you wouldn't ask a lot of questions, and we could keep you safer that way. Sounds pretty stupid now that I think about it."

Jamie hugged his knees, pursed his lips, and stated, "I'm not a baby, Mom. I can keep a secret."

"I know you can, Sweetheart. But this… this was one of those things that we just thought if you didn't know anything, you wouldn't have to keep it a secret," she explained. She reached out and touched his hand and whispered, "We love you very much, Jamie."

Jamie sighed, "Mom, can I have some time alone. I want to think about what you just said."

Amanda stood, leaned over, and kissed the top of his head before she left the room, closing the door softly behind her.

The next morning she was getting ready to head to the Agency when the phone rang. "Hello?" she answered, trying to sound as cheerful as she could.

"Amanda! I'm so glad I caught you. I wanted to talk to you before you got to the office," Francine's voice floated through the phone.

"Sure, what's up?" Amanda replied, her eyebrows held high with curiosity.

Francine sighed, "Well, I just got off the phone with Ambrose and he said-"

"I'm sorry, Francine, who did you just get off the phone with?" Amanda interrupted.

"Ambrose… Mr. Schortmann? Lee's new lawyer," Francine reminded her. Without waiting for her reply, Francine continued, "Anyway, he just said it's going to take about a week for his friend to get the still shots from the videos back."

"That long?" Amanda groaned.

Francine groaned along with her, "I know, I know. We're used to having almost instant access to these things but with Ebert around, we're going to have to take what we can get."

Amanda nodded, "True. Did Mr. Schortmann say his friend found anything new?"

"No, just the lighting in the second video is going to make it hard to identify any features of the second person. But he did say the first video offered a little bit of promise. I guess we'll find out when we get the pictures back. But that wasn't the only reason I called," Francine explained.

"Oh?" Amanda swallowed.

"I heard Beaman and Fielder talking in the hall this morning. They had no idea I was there. Anyway, they were talking about the Q Bureau, and I think Fielder is making an official request with Ebert today. Beaman said something like, 'Now you can really keep an eye on Amanda' whatever that means," Francine stated in a hushed tone. "Hey, I have to go, Beaman is heading in my direction right now. I'll see you when you get here." Without another word, Francine hung up the phone and turned to Beaman.

"Good morning, Francine!" he announced cheerfully. "Did you have a wonderful weekend?"

Francine gave him a tight smile and stated, "Only because I didn't have to see you all weekend."

Beaman sobered up and scowled, "Well, you don't have to be so blunt about it." He looked around the bullpen before leaning close to Francine. In a loud whisper, he informed her, "I heard from Fielder that he's requesting to be Mrs. Stetson's partner in the Q Bureau before Ebert can shut it down. Between you and me, I think he has a thing for her." He leaned back, removed his glasses, and nodded, knowingly.

Francine glared at him, "Oh, really? What makes you think that? The fact that he's been following her around the last week or so like a lovesick puppy? Or he's been asking to work with her every chance he got? Don't think I don't know how Amanda really got assigned that surveillance gig with him."

Beaman's jaw dropped slightly at the implication. "Well, I didn't have anything to do with that," he insisted as he quickly shoved his glasses back on before propping one hand on his hip.

Francine stared at him, "I'm not sure what to think anymore, Beaman. But I do know one thing for sure… you're in my space, and I, unlike other people around here, have work to do."

"Well then, I'll leave you to your… work," Beaman lifted his chin and stormed away.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 14**

"Stetson!" Tony's familiar voice called out. "Door open!" he commanded seconds before the loud click and clacking of the door sliding open. "It's moving day for you, son!" the guard teased.

Lee stretched his arms above his head and looked around the small cell, "I'm going to miss this place. It was just starting to grow on me."

Tony shook his head but still smiled, "Well, collect your crap. We're heading to your new home across campus. And you're lucky today. The weather is nice enough we can walk across the yard instead of using the tunnels." Lee stood and picked up the cardboard shoebox he was allowed to use to store his personal items. Tony threw a jacket at him and commanded, "Put this on. You'll need it for the winter." Lee slipped his arms into the sleeves and looked down at his legs as he expected Tony to place the ankle shackles on him as he had every other time they moved out of the unit. "Not this time. The first taste of freedom you have. No restraints unless you give me cause to use them," Tony explained.

"Thanks," Lee replied with a sigh. He followed Tony to the first checkpoint where his belongings were thoroughly inspected before they stepped into a small anteroom. He passed through the metal detector, where another guard patted him down before they stepped outside. The air was cold and crisp, but the sun was shining low in the sky. "Smells like snow's coming soon," Lee commented.

"Yeah, how'd you guess that?" Tony questioned with a tilt of his head.

Lee smiled, shrugged his shoulders, and stated, "Amanda always commented on how the air smelled a day or two before the snow started. I finally paid attention, and she was right. The air definitely has a distinct smell… feeling… it's hard to describe, but it's there. Feels good, though. Just being outside for a few minutes."

Tony gave Lee a sympathetic look and whispered, "Walk slow. It'll last longer." The two men took their time as they walked along the fence of the empty recreation yard to the first fence gate. Tony punched in the security code to release the latch, allowing the two men to continue to the next building. "There it is, your new home. This is where we part ways, Lee. I can't do much to help you in here, so do your best to stay out of trouble, okay?" he reminded Lee as they approached the door.

"Thanks, Tony. I appreciate the familiar face, even if it was only for a week," Lee whispered loudly just before the door opened, and another guard appeared. He exhaled quietly, and his shoulders sunk slightly when the door slammed closed behind him.

Several days later, Amanda was at home reading when the phone rang. "Hello?" she answered.

"Amanda!" Harry announced her name with his warm, jovial tone.

"Harry," she replied. "How are you?"

"I went to see Lee today," he stated matter-of-factly.

Amanda's eyebrows immediately shot up, "Harry? What do you mean you went to see Lee today? It's Thursday. I thought visitations were only allowed on the weekends."

"Yeah, well, that's only if you're listed under the general type of visitors. They allow clergy anytime," Harry informed her.

Amanda smiled as the implication of his words settled in, "But, Harry, you're not a clergyman."

"The prison thinks I am, so don't ruin it for me. A little blessing here and there, an embroidered vestment I picked up in Rome years ago and voila, I pass for a priest. But that's not why I called," Harry stated firmly. "What's the deal with Fielder? I heard he requested Lee's position in the Q Bureau."

The smile disappeared from Amanda's face, "He starts Monday. Mr. Ebert made it very clear, either Fred and I work together as partners, or he will shut down the Q Bureau."

"What the hell!" Harry snapped. "Now, I know Lee wasn't fond of taking over the Q when he did, but the two of you blasted through so many of those cold cases together."

"And I think Mr. Ebert has the same faith in Fred to get the job done," Amanda suggested.

"Fred Fielder is a joke, Amanda. We both know that. How that man still has a job is beyond me. Every agent that has ever worked with him can state how many times they've helped him out or flat out covered for his inability to get the job done!" Harry insisted.

Amanda sighed, "I know, sir. But it's either this or Mr. Ebert shuts it down permanently and I don't know what that will mean for me. I don't really want to get stuck in the Steno pool or at a desk somewhere else. I've proven my worth time and time again; only he doesn't know that. He only knows what he sees on paper."

"And what Ebert sees is a housewife turned spy with a limited history as an agent. I get it," Harry agreed. "Anyway, that wasn't the only reason I called. I got a peek at the pictures Schortmann got back from his PI buddy. There's something I need you to take a look at for me."

"Really?" Amanda's eyebrows raised again. "What is it? Did you find something new?"

Harry exhaled loudly, "I'm not really sure. There's something. I don't know, something not sitting right with one of them. I just can't place my finger on what it is."

"I'm sure if you thought about it hard enough, it would come to you, but if you still want me to look at them, I can do that, Harry," Amanda assured him. "When do you want to meet?"

Harry remained silent for a few seconds before he stated, "Schortmann thinks he might have the gun available to us by Monday, so let's plan on Monday afternoon. That gives you the weekend to see Lee without worrying about things that are out of our control."

Amanda shook her head, "I still worry, Harry, you know that."

"I know, Amanda, just try not too. Focus all your energy on Lee," Harry reminded her. "I have a few ideas for Lee's defense I want to go over with Schortmann, too. When you see him, ask Lee when was the last time he was at the shooting range for qualifications. Get all the details you can from him. It could be important. Oh, and find out more about the meeting he went to at Meridian Hill Park. See if he can take you through the exact route he drove. That might help too. I know Francine said she only got a fleeting glance of a car in one video, but maybe if there were other businesses on his way there, one of them might have picked him up. You never know what might help."

"Will do, Harry. Anything else?" Amanda replied.

"Yeah, find out why Lee didn't have his Glock that night. It's not like him not to take his favorite gun," Harry stated.

Amanda sighed again, "I can tell you the reason for that. Lee would have left it at the office because he knew the boys were going to be home when he got home, and he didn't have his jacket with him to hide it. Lee tried really hard to keep his gun out of sight so the boys wouldn't ask questions, you know. He took his twenty-two with him when he left. He keeps that in a small safe in the bedroom along with mine. The boys don't know anything about it."

"Hmm," Harry pondered. "If Lee did… and I'm not saying he did… but if Lee did shoot Smyth on the docks, would he have had enough time to get to the Agency first to get his Glock?"

"No, sir," Amanda confirmed.

Harry asked one more question, "And you're sure he left the Glock at the office?"

"Sure? No, sir," Amanda admitted. "I didn't see him leave it there if that's what you're asking. We left at different times that afternoon. I suppose he could have left it in his car, but he told me he left it in the drawer in the last file cabinet in the vault, and I believe him."

"So do I, Amanda, but we have to get the judge to believe him," Harry reminded her.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 15**

Lee sat impatiently as he waited for Amanda to be brought into the visiting room. He was happy to discover there was no glass to separate the two of them, although the small stations they would be sitting at still didn't allow a lot of physical contact. He unconsciously scratched at the healing cut on his arm and winced slightly when his fingernail caught a piece of scabbed tissue on the still sensitive skin. He rubbed the pain away, folded his hands, and looked around the room once more. He tapped his thumb impatiently on the Formica countertop. After a few minutes, he began bouncing his leg nervously. He checked the time on the clock once more and calculated only three minutes had passed since the last time he checked. He ran his hand through his hair nervously and looked around once more.

Lee's heart skipped a beat when he finally caught a glimpse of Amanda as the guard lead her into the room to him. He couldn't hide his smile, and it took every ounce of control to stay seated when she reached their station. "Remember, no leaning across the desk. You can hold hands, but nothing more. If we see anything passed between the two of you, that's it. Visitation over," the guard explained once more. He pointed straight up to a small camera suspended directly above them. "We're watching everything."

"Thank you," Amanda replied politely before the guard left them alone. She sat down in the hard plastic seat and immediately reached out to grasp Lee's hand. "Oh, Sweetheart! I've missed this so much." She squeezed his fingers gently.

"I've missed you," Lee stated softly. He returned her gentle squeeze and smiled. "I never thought the highlight of my weekend would be simply holding hands with you, but here we are," he joked.

Amanda carefully examined his face for signs of any new injuries. "How are things in the new…?" Amanda's voice trailed off. She was unsure what to call the new unit he was moved to.

"You mean in Protective Custody? It's okay, I guess. I have my own cell, and that offers a little more privacy, I suppose. We have access to the library, and there's even a television in the rec hall. There are only eighteen of us in our small section. They let us out in groups of six at a time, so it's not that bad," Lee explained. His fingers never stopped moving. They continuously caressed Amanda's as if he was committing to memory every inch of skin on her hand.

"Who… what kind of…" Amanda sighed, frustrated with herself for not having the right words. "Have you met anyone?" she finally breathed.

Lee gave her a weak smile. "Yeah, I played cards with one guy yesterday. He was a bookie turned informant. He's been here for two years, three months and seventeen days, but who's counting?" Lee joked. Amanda returned his smile with a laugh. "I saw Harry the other day," he added.

Amanda smiled again, "I heard." She glanced around and corrected him, "That's Father Harry around here."

Lee nodded, the smile on his face relaxed, "Yeah. Father Harry told me all about the pictures they got off the videos. I can't believe Francine was able to see that."

"Well, this is Francine we're talking about here. She doesn't believe you're guilty any more than the rest of us," Amanda reminded him.

"Yeah, well, from what Harry told me, she needed a little more convincing. But those videos sound promising. And he also told me that Schortmann is getting my gun re-examined," Lee stated.

Amanda nodded, "From what I know, we should have it back by Monday afternoon. Oh, Harry… Father Harry asked when the last time you were at the qualifying range."

Lee relaxed in the chair and scoured his memory. "Back in May. Just after Memorial Day. I remember because I was still slightly hungover from that barbeque we had. That was a fun weekend. I didn't think I would actually hit the target, because my head was still pounding."

"I told you to drink a few glasses of water before you went to bed, but you insisted you were fine," Amanda scolded him lightly.

Lee nodded, "I know, I should have listened to you. And I should have had water or juice in the morning as you suggested instead of coffee, but I was being my stubborn self." Lee gently turned her hand over in his and traced the lines in the palm of her hand.

"Well, you must have learned something because you weren't as bad after that party for the Fourth of July Billy threw," Amanda reminded him.

Lee leaned his head back and laughed loudly, "Yeah, I learned not to drink the strawberry daiquiris your mother makes." He sobered up slightly and said, "Now, I miss that. The parties with friends and family, your mother's drinks, the boys teasing each other. I miss all of it."

Amanda tightened her fingers around him. "So do I, which is why we need to get you out of here as fast as we can. Harry had another idea. Do you remember the exact route you drove to get to Meridian Hill Park from the house?"

"Meridian Hill… um… I think so. They are doing all that construction on I-395, so I took Columbia Pike, cut down South Carlin Springs Road to Arlington Boulevard. I drove around Arlington National Cemetery, past the US Marine Corps War Memorial, and got off the E Street exit. I wound down 18th Street to 16th Street through downtown." Lee sighed and added, "I parked near the Serenity Statue and waited in the park for over two hours for my contact who didn't show before I headed home. You know the rest."

Amanda made mental notes of everything and smiled, "Well, it looks like Francine and I have some work to do. We'll check every business along the route, working our way to and from the house, and see what we can come up with for videos. The only ones she tried were the businesses close to the park, so if we widen the search, maybe we can find something else."

"Amanda, just be careful. The marina they found Smyth at is only about five, maybe six miles away from Meridian. You better be sure that there's no room for interpretation in any of that," Lee reminded her.

"Did you take the same route home?" Amanda questioned. Lee nodded. "Good. Then we'll make sure to check all the businesses between Meridian Hill Park and the marina too to prove you didn't go there."

Lee looked at her and shook his head as the possibilities swirled through his mind. "Amanda, do you have any idea how many routes that might be or how many businesses you'd have to contact?"

"There's really only one way in and out of the marina itself. If we focus on the entrance and the surrounding cross streets, we should see something," Amanda stated.

"You really are amazing. You know that. I don't know what I would do without you," Lee admitted.

Amanda blushed at his admission and added, "I wish we could have done this from the get-go, but that lawyer you had told us to stay out of the investigation completely. He said it would compromise the whole case. If he had let us do our jobs the way we know how, you wouldn't be sitting here right now."

Lee gave her hand another squeeze and reminded her, "Whatever you do, whatever you find… you better be sure it's completely solid. He is right. If you find anything that even remotely feels manufactured, the judge will throw it out in a heartbeat, and that might be my last chance at any kind of appeal."

"Don't you worry, Sweetheart. I wouldn't do anything to risk that," Amanda assured him. They sat in silence for several minutes before Amanda asked, "Can I ask you something?" Lee nodded before he bit his bottom lip. He inexplicably felt nervous for some reason. "Well, Philip has been asking me to come to see you, and I know he's old enough, but I didn't know how you would feel about it?" she questioned softly.

"Yeah," Lee bobbed his head in agreement. "Yeah, I would love to see Philip and Jamie, too, if he'd come. I have to request it, though… because my visitors have to be approved. But if I can get permission, then, of course, I want to see him."

Amanda blinked several times and asked again, "You're sure? You don't think it will be too much for him?"

"No, no, I don't. I heard one of the other guys talking about requesting a room for a family visit. I'll see what I can find out," Lee stated confidently. He glanced up at the clock and noticed they had been sitting there for almost two hours. "I have to get back in a minute. They're pretty strict on time, even worse than Billy," he joked as he tried to keep the mood light. "You're coming back tomorrow, though, right?"

Amanda smiled at him, "Of course, Sweetheart. I wouldn't be anywhere else."

Lee looked around to see if the guard was watching. He quickly lifted her fingers and pressed them to his lips for a brief moment before lowering her hand again.


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 16**

Ambrose Schortmann stood and spread the images out across the conference room desk in his office. "I'm not sure exactly what you might be looking for, but my friend has numbered each of these on the back for clarification."

Amanda leaned forward and lifted the first image of Dr. Smyth standing with his back to the camera, the glow of his cigarette still evident in the black and white photo. She sighed softly and muttered, "Poor man didn't know what was coming."

Billy stared at her and chuckled, "That 'poor man' put out a no holds barred Class D manhunt on you and Lee a few years ago, or did you forget?"

"I know he did, but he didn't have all the facts. But when he got all the facts, he realized his mistake. If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't have become a full-time agent when I did. He was the one who offered me the position. Still, he wasn't my favorite person by any means, but he didn't deserve to be murdered in cold blood and dropped into the Potomac," Amanda pointed out. She let the image slide back onto the table before she lifted a second one. "I mean, how are we going to determine who this is when you can barely see anything," she lamented.

Francine lifted one image and pointed out, "Well, let's see, we can assume the shooter is a man, based on this image. His shoulders are broad, and he has narrow hips."

"Just like Lee," Amanda stated with a nod.

"And the shooter was wearing a baseball cap and dark clothes," Francine stated again. "And sneakers," she added, pointing to the shoes in the image.

"Okay, well, Lee was wearing his brown leather jacket, jeans, and sneakers that night," Amanda informed her.

Francine stared at the image again, dropped it onto the table, and insisted, "There must be something here we can use."

Billy listened to the two women go back and forth before he suggested, "What about anything around them? Can we determine how tall the shooter is? Or what about the other mysterious person? Can we gather any information about them?"

Amanda lifted the image of the shooter holding the gun and held it up. After several long seconds, she asked, "Francine, how often have you seen Lee shoot with his left hand?"

Francine narrowed her eyes, gave her head a hard shake, and stated, "More times than not. Why?"

"Well, we know that Lee is left-handed, and he favors shooting with his left hand more than his right, correct?" Amanda continued.

"Right. But, like most trained agents, he has to be able to shoot with both hands, so what's your point?" Francine questioned.

A slow smile spread across Amanda's face as an idea formulated in her mind. She looked at Billy, then at Mr. Schortmann before settling on Francine's face. "Most of the time, if Lee shoots with his right hand, it's mostly because there is something in his way or he's on the move, and even when he does, his aim isn't as good as it is with his left hand. Wouldn't you agree, sir?"

"Yes, Amanda, we all agree. Lee's accuracy with his left hand is almost perfect, whereas when he shoots with his right, he's only slightly above average. Where are you going with all of this?" Billy demanded.

Amanda stood, slid the image across the table, and announced, "That shooter is shooting with his right hand. If that was Lee, he never would've done that. He would have leveled off his sights and shot with the hand he is most accurate with… his left."

Mr. Schortmann adjusted his glasses as he contemplated what she just said. "So, Mrs. Stetson, if I understand you all correctly, Mr. Stetson is left-handed; therefore his accuracy with his left hand would be far greater than that with his right hand. This shooter is slow and deliberate, aiming with the right hand. That may be something we can use to our advantage. However, we need to be able to prove Mr. Stetson's accuracy at the same distance with the same weapon shooting both right and left-handed." He paused and looked at Billy, "Mr. Melrose, has Mr. Stetson had any kind of range testing recently that would compare his accuracy on both hands?"

Billy pursed his lips tightly together before he replied, "I checked Lee's stats from the last time he was at the range. Based on his previous records, he only had to qualify at fifteen yards before moving onto the sweep course, which he passed with flying colors."

"But, how much of that course was done with his left hand versus his right?" Mr. Schortmann inquired.

"Well, his stationary exam was split between the two; however, the sweep course was with his left hand only as it is a timed course," Billy explained.

Amanda sat up straighter in her chair and asked, "Mr. Schortmann, correct me if I'm wrong, but that dock is at least one hundred yards, wouldn't you say?" She tapped the image of Dr. Smyth at the end of the dock.

"Give or take a few, yes," Mr. Schortmann agreed.

"So, do you think it would be possible to request… oh, I don't know… Lee to have another shooting test at one hundred yards for both right and left hands?" Amanda asked as she raised her hands and shoulders for emphasis.

Mr. Schortmann lowered himself into a chair at the head of the conference table and leaned back. He steepled his fingers as he thought about her request. "So, you want me to request a judge an allowance for Mr. Stetson to be brought to a shooting range and tested for accuracy at one hundred yards with both his left and his right hand?" Amanda raised her eyebrows high as she shook her head. "Interesting," he replied.

"Interesting, how?" Francine questioned.

"I don't believe it's ever been done before," Mr. Schortmann replied. "But I don't see why we couldn't try. After all, this is a man's life and reputation we are talking about here."

Billy relaxed slightly as he asked, "How soon do you think you can make that request?"

Mr. Schortmann adjusted his glasses once more and stated, "I'll call Judge Hamilton this afternoon. But, in the meantime, is there anything else we can come up with? Anything at all you can work on to confirm Mr. Stetson was not anywhere near that marina?"

Amanda nodded quickly, "Well, Francine and I were going to start asking any of the businesses all along the route from our house to both the park and the marina if we could get a copy of their surveillance videos. Lee told me the exact route he drove both to and from the house."

"Good. Try to get any videos you can of his vehicle and even better of the driver of the vehicle. And what about the entrance to the marina?" Mr. Schortmann suggested.

"Already have that covered, too," Francine confirmed. "And all the cross streets nearby. There are four possible access points to the area surrounding the marina, but only one entrance to the parking lot of the marina itself. There is a chain-link fence that runs the length of the 4th and 5th Avenue access points. Tomorrow, Amanda and I are going to check for any breaks in the fence, to make sure that someone couldn't have climbed over or under or gone through it for that matter."

"Excellent. Well, just keep me informed of anything you find. In the meantime, I'm still waiting for the locals to notify me his weapon is ready for us to examine," Mr. Schortmann stated.

Francine lifted one of the images where the gun was clearly visible. "Well, I hope your PI friend has some ideas on how we can run tests on his weapon. Ebert has his little watchdogs now in every department tattling to him whenever the slightest infraction of company policy has been broken," she groaned.

Mr. Schortmann shook his head and smiled at the blonde woman scowling across from him. "Miss Desmond, how long has it been since you've actually done cataloging of evidence? Fingerprinting and the such?" he asked.

Francine leaned forward and stated, "We have people to do that for us, so, maybe when I was a freshman agent."

"So, fingerprinting is a foreign concept?" Mr. Schortmann questioned.

Now it was Billy's turn to laugh, "Not at all, Ambrose. It's just been a while. I assure you, we are all capable of pulling prints if need be. Yes, it's been a while, but as long as we have something to compare the prints to, we can do it. We have Lee's prints on file, let's just hope we find one that doesn't belong to him."

"And what will you do if you do find one that doesn't belong to him?" Mr. Schortmann questioned.

"Mr. Schortmann, may I ask you a question?" Amanda interrupted.

"Of course, Mrs. Stetson," Mr. Schortmann replied. He lifted his hand in her direction to indicate he wished her to continue.

Amanda inhaled deeply and began, "You're not suggesting we are going to manufacture a fingerprint on Lee's weapon, are you? Because, if you are, that would sound like you don't believe we are trying to clear Lee in an honest way. And because I don't know you very well, and you don't know us very well, I wouldn't want to assume anything bad since we all have to work together to make sure that Lee is found innocent, like I know he is." She blinked several times as she studied Mr. Schortmann's face.

The younger man grinned across the table. "Well done, Mrs. Stetson. You understand what the prosecution is going to think if this isn't done right," he congratulated her.

"You don't have to worry about us, Mr. Schortmann. We will document everything, so there will be no question where the evidence came from. Don't you worry about that. I'm not going to do anything that would threaten his chances of coming home. I just want to find the truth," Amanda assured him.


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 17**

"Stetson, you've got mail," the inmate handing out letters announced loudly. "Oh, look. It's from someone new. I haven't seen that handwriting before," he added cheerfully as he handed the envelope over to Lee.

"Give me that, Darius," Lee snapped. He jerked the envelope out of his hand and turned away. Lee immediately recognized the printed writing. He tucked the letter into his pocket and turned back to the game of cards he was playing.

"You're not going to read that?" Tucker, the inmate across from him, asked.

Lee shook his head, "Not now. Right now, we only have about ten more minutes to finish this game before rec is over, and I refuse to lose to you again." He gave Tucker a toothy grin before adding, "It's your call."

Tucker looked down at the stack of pretzels on the table before him. "I'm all in," he announced, pushing the salty snack toward the center pile.

Lee looked down at his cards and studied them for several seconds, "Me, too." He pushed his remaining pretzels forward and held his breath.

Tucker looked up at him and grinned, "Read 'em and weep, Mr. Agent Man." He revealed his hand, three aces, and two kings, "Full house of aces and royalty, my good man."

Lee stared down at his cards and shook his head. "Tsk, tsk, tsk," he clucked. He sighed and slowly lowered his hand as he stated, "I guess your luck finally ran out. Royal Flush, from the heart."

"But…but… where did you pull that out of?" Tucker stuttered. He stared at the cards, leaned back in his chair, and folded his arms. "You cheated. Just admit it. You cheated."

Lee smiled, raised his eyebrows, and insisted, "Nope. I just finally figured out your strategy. Nothing more. But I'll tell you what. Since I'm a nice guy, I'll let you keep the pretzels." Lee held his hand out in a friendly gesture, which Tucker immediately reached out and squeezed it tightly.

"You really are one of a kind, Stetson. I wish I had you on my side on the outside. Maybe I wouldn't have wound up in here in the first place," he admitted.

Before Lee could respond, a loud buzzer rang, indicating their recreation time was now over, and the six men were to report back to their cells. Lee returned to his cell and immediately dropped himself down onto his bunk. He leaned against the wall and tugged the letter from his pocket. He traced the carefully written letters on the outside of the envelope. He found himself inexplicably nervous as he contemplated what was written on the papers inside. He steeled himself for the worst as he coaxed the lined paper out before he unfolded the sheets, and he began to read.

" _Lee. I don't know what to say to you, so I'm just going to tell you how I feel. I'm mad at you for lying to us. I'm mad at you for doing what you did and making my mom cry all the time. I'm sad because Grandma is worried all the time now. She's worried about you, about my mom every time she goes to work, and she's worried about me and Philip and what all of this is doing to us. I heard her telling Aunt Lillian on the phone the other day, how she's so scared one of these days Mom isn't going to come home again because you're not here to protect her when she's working. Mom has some other dumb guy working with her now, and she hates it. She pretends she doesn't, but I know she's just saying that to be polite. No one is happy anymore, and it's all because of you. Because you lied to us."_ Lee stopped reading to wipe the tears of anger from his eyes. The muscle in his cheek twitched wildly, not because he was angry with Jamie but because he was angry at himself.

" _Why couldn't you just tell us the truth about you and Mom? And why didn't you trust us enough to be honest about your jobs? We can keep a secret. I mean, I never told anyone about the magazines I found under Philip's bed. Okay, so I just told you, but no one else knows."_ Lee chuckled loudly at Jamie's admission when he thought about how many guards may have read the letter before him. " _Mom said you guys did it to keep us safe because if we didn't know, then we didn't have to keep anything a secret. I finally understand what she means, but I'm still mad you guys didn't trust us enough to tell us anything."_ Lee nodded and flipped the page over to continue reading.

" _Lee, I'm still mad at both of you, but I have to admit, I miss you, too. I miss the time we got to spend at the park, taking pictures or riding in your car around the track faster than Mom would ever drive. I miss you and Mom laughing in the family room over some joke we didn't hear, and I miss Grandma sighing each time she watches you walk up the stairs even though I don't understand why. I miss the times you make dinner for everybody, and when you fall asleep on the couch and start snoring. Yes, you snore on the couch, just admit it."_ Lee exhaled loudly before he whispered, "I miss you, too."

" _Mom's been working really hard with Miss Desmond and Mr. Melrose and your new lawyer to prove you didn't shoot that old guy. She wants you home by Christmas, but I don't see how that's going to happen. It's not like Christmas miracles are real or anything… unless you count Grandma and Aunt Lillian not fighting for one holiday a miracle. I hope you are doing okay in prison, and it's not as scary as they show on TV. You don't have to write me back or anything. I just needed to say what I had to say, and I needed you to know that even though I'm mad at you both, I do miss you, and I'm sorry this happened to you, especially if you really didn't shoot that guy. Jamie."_

Lee wiped his eyes once more, folded the letter, and slid it back into the envelope. He placed it in the shoebox with the other letters he had and pulled out a sheet of paper and a pencil. With a sigh, he began his letter to Amanda.

Back in DC, the phone jangled loudly beside the man with the southern accent. "Yeah?" he answered.

"Boudreaux, Is everything all set?" the voice asked.

"Just waiting to hear from my man," Jackson Boudreaux answered. "He should be calling anytime now."

"And you're sure he can't be traced back to you?" the voice questioned.

Boudreaux clicked his tongue once before stating, "Keep calm. You sound like you're having a duck fit! It's gonna be just fine. Don't you worry."

"I am worried. I think they found something, but I haven't been able to figure it out just yet. I heard them talking about a video," the voice groaned. "I need to know, Boudreaux, that this is going to continue as planned and that Stetson is not going to make it out of this one."

"Hey, hey, hey, weren't you the one that said no names on the phone? You're always worried someone's listening in on your conversations or something," Boudreaux reminded him.

From somewhere near the voice, Boudreaux heard the sounds of a siren, "They can't listen in on this one. I'm on a payphone between there and nowhere. No one suspects a thing anyway. I'm just doing my job, that's all. Making sure everything is done according to the new boss's rules."

Boudreaux laughed, "Well, you keep doing your job, and I'll finish mine. Then we're fixin' to go our separate ways. Ain't no way they're gonna be able to tie us together."

"Let's keep it that way. I'm going to head back and keep an eye on things. Let me know as soon as you get word everything's a go," the voice insisted.

"Will do," Boudreaux laughed again before he dropped the receiver onto the cradle.


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 18**

"Well, this has got to be the most unorthodox request I've had approved to date," Ambrose declared as the small transport van approached. He stood beside Billy and scanned the field beside them lightly covered with snow.

As the van got closer, the three guards standing with them spread apart to their assigned locations. The van stopped a short distance away, and a shackled Lee was escorted off by two officers. One officer turned to the other and stated, "I got this, Mike." He guided Lee closer to Billy and Mr. Schortmann.

"Hello, officer. Thank you for assisting us today," Ambrose announced with a smile.

"Lieutenant Anderson, sir. And I'm not really sure what's going on, but Warden Ryan asked me to help you folks out, so here I am," the officer stated honestly.

"Well, Lieutenant Anderson, we needed to test Mr. Stetson's range shooting as part of our ongoing appeal process," Ambrose informed him.

The officer looked at Billy and blinked several times before he asked, "You're going to test his shooting ability? Here?" He looked around and noticed a series of targets set up on the field near the tree line.

"Lee, how far back would you say those targets are?" Billy acknowledged Lee's presence as Lieutenant Anderson removed his shackles.

Lee stared at the targets and using the chain-link fence beside them, stated, "About a hundred yards I'd say give or take."

Ambrose nodded, "Very good, Mr. Stetson. Your approximation is correct." He pointed at the eight targets and explained, "We need you to shoot no more than two shots at each target, alternating between your right and left hand. Please, take your time, set, and aim."

The guard standing closest to Billy stated loudly, "And don't get any ideas, Stetson. There will be three high-powered rifles aimed in your direction as soon as that weapon touches your hands. If you decide to make any poor decisions, it will be your last."

Billy squared his shoulders and added, "Don't worry, Lee. We are filming everything, so there will be no question about anything that happens. Each target has been labeled, and we will collect the target as soon as your two shots are fired." He turned to Lieutenant Anderson and asked, "Will you sign off as a witness on each target?"

Lieutenant Anderson gave him a sharp nod, "Yes, sir. I believe this is why Warden Ryan asked me to assist. I was a sharpshooter for the army back in the day."

"Wonderful. Now, let's begin," Billy stated. He withdrew a firearm from his holster and held it out for Lieutenant Anderson and Lee to see. "Can either one of you identify this weapon?"

Lee smiled and nodded, but it was Anderson who spoke up first. "That's a Glock, sir. G17, semi-automatic, nine-millimeter with a short recoil-operated, locked-breech. It has a modified Browning cam-lock system. Mostly favored by law enforcement individuals due to its reliability in all adverse conditions." Lee tipped his head at the officer acknowledging his assessment.

"Well done. You are correct. This is a G17. The clip is only loaded with two bullets for each target. Lee, you will fire at the target then hand the weapon back to me to reload for the next target. Do you understand the instructions?" Billy commanded authoritatively.

"Yeah, yeah, I understand the instructions. Two shots left hand, you reload, two shots right, repeat," Lee grumbled, but the smile on his face told Billy he understood the importance of this exercise.

Billy turned to the officers surrounding them holding rifles and announced, "We are ready to begin." The officers took their places, and Lee followed Billy to the first target. Billy handed him the weapon and reminded him, "Take your time, aim, and fire two successive rounds."

Lee stood slightly to the side, his left foot front as he raised his hands and leveled off the weapon, using his right hand for support. He pulled the trigger twice without hesitation, tipped the gun skyward, and released the clip into his right hand. He returned the gun to Billy and walked to align himself with the next target while Billy reloaded two rounds into the magazine, and Ambrose ran down to collect the target. He held the black and white image up for Anderson to see and confirm, both bullets hitting squarely in the chest in a tight grouping. Anderson initialed just below the lettering at the top of the target indicating the word LEFT.

Billy handed Lee the gun again only this time, Lee leveled off his sights over his right hand. He steadied the gun with his left hand for support and aimed, firing off two rounds. He repeated his actions of dispensing the clip and handing the empty weapon to Billy. Ambrose made the trip of retrieving the target. He handed it off to Anderson, who laughed. "I think this guy lived," he joked. The two marks were much further apart this time, only one hitting the main body of the target.

Lee moved to the third target when Ambrose suggested, "Mr. Stetson, is it possible for you to aim one-handed for the remainder of this test?"

Lee nodded. "Sure. Anything else? Do you want me to stand on one foot or maybe I should do a handstand while shooting behind me?"

Billy smacked Lee across the back of his head. "Cut the wisecracking and do as the man asked. This is for your benefit we're even here," he reminded Lee.

"I know, I figured as much, although I don't know what this is going to prove. I just hit the range last May. I told Amanda that," Lee groaned. Billy shot him a stern look, silencing Lee immediately. Lee held the gun in just his left hand, leveled his sights, and again, squeezed off two rounds in quick order.

Ten minutes later, they completed the process on the remaining targets. Lieutenant Anderson signed off on the remaining target with a low whistle, "Nice shooting, Tex. I haven't seen anything like that since my days in the service. But, I think you need some work on that right side."

Lee shrugged his shoulders and stated, "I must be out of practice or something."

Billy laughed, "No, that's what your last round looked like in May. I had them send your sheets over." He folded the targets in half and tucked them into a large envelope. He initialed the outside, along with Mr. Schortmann and Lieutenant Anderson. He also hit the stop button on the three video recorders lined up along the perimeter. He turned back to Lee and held out his hand, "We'll give you an update in the next few days. We need to get these back and analyzed along with the videos for comparison."

"Comparison to what?" Lee questioned.

"Your wife didn't tell you?" Mr. Schortmann questioned. He pushed his glasses up and blew into his hands to warm up his fingers. "It's getting colder again."

Lee thought back to the conversation he had with Amanda the previous weekend, "She mentioned something about a video, but she didn't get into much detail."

"Sorry, gentlemen, but we have to head back," Anderson stated. He glanced over at the other three officers now huddling near the two parked vans. "I'll give you one more minute, and we won't put the cuffs back on until we get into the van." He walked toward the others and announced loudly, "Warm up the transport. We're heading back."

Lee faced Billy and Mr. Schortmann, "I guess I gotta head back. Billy, can you check in on Amanda? I heard Fielder is already giving her a run for her money…" His voice trailed off as he stared off into the distance toward the tree line. He turned back, cleared his throat, and added, "Thanks for this, whatever it means. I hope it helped."

Ambrose held out his hand and assured Lee, "Once we get back and compare not only the targets but the videos as well, we will be sure to give you a full update. From what I've seen today, I have already begun to build a course of reasonable doubt for both a jury and Judge Hamilton. But we still have a long way to go."


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 19**

Francine sat in the Q Bureau, staring at Lee's gun. She had purposely stayed late that evening to ensure Fielder would be long gone by the time she started fingerprinting the weapon and the clip. She began sorting out the black silk latent print powder, the transparent lifting tape, and the magnetic applicator brush when she heard a thump at the door. Startled, she jumped and immediately sighed when she saw Amanda slipping in through the door. "Dammit, Amanda, I thought you were Fielder," she cursed.

"Sorry, Francine. No, Fred is long gone. He said he had tickets to some concert tonight, and he wanted me to go with him, but I told him Philip had a basketball game so I couldn't. I really do feel bad lying to him, but he doesn't seem to understand I'm still in love with Lee," Amanda groaned.

Francine gestured toward the edge of the desk, "I was just going to get started. Did you bring Lee's fingerprints from his file?"

Amanda shook her head, "No. I tried to get them this morning, but Beaman saw me over by the files, and before I could open the drawer, he asked me if I finished the report on the Donnellan case yet. I told him I was heading right home to work on it."

"Amanda, how are we supposed to compare Lee's fingerprints if we don't have something to compare them against?" Francine reminded her snarkily.

Amanda pulled Lee's shaving kit from her purse wrapped in a small towel, "Will this work? I did go home, but not to work on the report. I remembered his kit. No one touches it but him. And don't worry, I didn't touch it either."

Francine snapped a set of latex gloves on her hands and took the small leather case from her, "We can try." She carefully unzipped it and pulled out a can of shaving cream. She dipped the brush into the powder and gently stroked it against the side of the can. Almost immediately, the powder adhered in several spots, drawing near perfect prints. She used the lifting tape to remove the print before she pressed it against a rectangular piece of white cardboard. She repeated the process several more times until all the fingerprints had been removed.

Amanda lined the cards up and, with the help of an 8X magnifier photographic loupe, began comparing each print until they isolated one complete set without duplicates. "If I had to say, this is almost definitely from Lee's left hand," she stated. "See how this print isn't complete? There's a space right here," she added, pointing to one print.

"The void. What about it?" Francine looked up from the desk. She had just started to spread out Lee's gun, the magazine clip, and line up the bullets.

"Well, this void, as you called it, is from when he cut himself last year, remember? He was showing the boys how to chop garlic, and when he went to hand Philip the knife, it slipped from his hand. He instinctively tried to catch it before it hit the floor, slicing his finger. He had to get four stitches in that little cut, and he complained about it for days," Amanda rambled.

Francine gave her friend a half-hearted smile. "I remember that. He was mad Billy wouldn't let him out for that Fischer case… code name Fisher Cat. The German that made a whole lot of noise, talking about all the secrets he was going to give away. Billy insisted he couldn't possibly hold his weapon properly with that big ball of gauze the hospital put on there," she laughed at the memory.

"That little cut slowly bled for days, even with the stitches. Lee was so frustrated. I had to wrap his finger with Saran Wrap just so he could take a shower," Amanda laughed.

"Well, that little cut might help break this case open. We've identified the fingerprints from Lee's left hand, now all we need to do is identify his right," Francine declared.

Amanda looked around and remembered his coffee mug. She crossed the room and, using a napkin, lifted the mug off the counter. "Would this work? Before Lee was arrested, he was working on his reports for the Dubois case, and he was holding his mug in his right hand. I only remember because he was on the phone with TP, which is on the left side of his desk," she explained.

Francine nodded, "Yes, that should work. But you're sure no one else touched it? You didn't wash it for him and move it over there?"

Amanda cringed and tipped the mug for Francine to see the inside. A dark stain was still evident on the bottom. "Lee never washed this. He swore the oils from yesterday's coffee made today's cup taste better," she grimaced. "I didn't have the heart to touch anything after he was arrested. To be honest, I wouldn't even have thought of it until just now. You know, it's amazing all the little details you remember when you don't really try."

"Well, hand it over and let's see what we can come up with," Francine instructed. Ten painstaking minutes later, they had a complete set of Lee's fingerprints laid out on Amanda's desk.

Amanda couldn't help but smile when she announced, "Who needs the Agency records when we can reproduce our own set of prints."

Francine looked down at the gun and back to Amanda before she reminded her, "Let's just hope we find something different to compare to then."

"Damn right," Amanda agreed. She cleared Lee's shaving kit and coffee mug from the desk and waited patiently as Francine began the slow process of trying to identify fingerprints on the gun. She switched to a light grey magnetic powder as she started dusting the barrel of the gun. "Francine, I don't mean to sound like a negative Nancy or anything, but didn't the police already fingerprint Lee's gun?"

Francine stopped swirling the brush and stared at her, "Yes, the police already fingerprinted Lee's gun, but I'm sure they didn't do a thorough job, and we are going to get what they missed."

Amanda nodded, "I feel like that's the theme of this case. Only do enough to prove Lee was guilty, but not enough to provide reasonable doubt he might actually be innocent."

"Tell you what, while I work on this, do you want to start sorting out those videos we collected?" Francine suggested.

Amanda looked at the box on her desk and smiled. She stood and moved to her desk, where she unrolled the map on the wall. Francine immediately noticed the numbered flags marked along one particular route. "Already done. Each flag corresponds to one shop on the route, and I even put them in order in the box to make it easier for us," she stated proudly.

"Well, leave it to you to be two steps ahead of me," Francine smiled.

Amanda returned her smile as she leaned against her desk. "I got Lee's newest letter yesterday. He told me to tell you thank you for everything you're doing. He's always considered you a good friend, Francine, and I think now, more than ever, he knows you are."

"Does he write a lot?" Francine asked as she swept the fingerprint powder along the magazine clip.

"Almost every day. And yesterday, Jamie finally read his first letter from Lee," Amanda stated. "Jamie wrote him a letter last week. Lee must have written him back the same day he got it, and he included it with my letter so it wouldn't get lost."

"Is Jamie still mad at you both?" Francine asked. Amanda raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Oh, come on, Amanda. You don't think I didn't know you've been having problems at home?" Embarrassed, Amanda shook her head gently and stared at the floor. "Hey, I may not be Suzie Homemaker, but I do know when things aren't going right in the Stetson-King household. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure it out."

Amanda shrugged her shoulders and looked up, "Jamie was pretty mad at us. Philip not so much, but Jamie… do you know he just started talking to me again? I mean more than a few angry words here and there. I'm talking a full conversation about his day at school. It's like… I don't know… the letter he wrote to Lee helped him let go of some of the anger he had."

"Well, if anyone knows the power of words, it's you, Amanda," Francine assured her.

"I just know that you can't keep everything bottled up inside. Sometimes you have to talk about things in order to feel better, and now that it's all out in the open and Lee knows why Jamie was mad at us, it's easier for him to communicate. Nothing good ever comes out of keeping secrets. Remember that, Francine," Amanda stated firmly.

"No, it doesn't, but we do work for the government, and keeping certain secrets is what we get paid for," Francine teased. She paused and tilted her head to the side, inspecting the magazine clip. "Amanda, come over here. I think I have a new print for you to compare. It's only a partial, located right at the top of the clip, but it's something."

"We should photograph that before we remove it," Amanda reminded her.

"You're right. Document everything," Francine declared. Amanda lifted the large camera and focused on the magazine clip. She snapped several photos. Using the clear tape, Francine lifted the print off and taped it onto the card. She handed the card to Amanda, who immediately used the magnifier loupe to compare to Lee's prints.

Francine held her breath until Amanda shook her head slowly and announced, "It doesn't match any of these."

"Well, let's see what else we can find," Francine stated as she turned back to the display on the desk and began dusting the bullet casings, one by one.


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 20**

"Stetson, Tucker! You have visitors checking in," the guard announced loudly. Lee couldn't hide the grin on his face as his door slid open, and he stepped onto the walkway. Several cells down, Tucker stepped out and stretched his arms above his head. He nodded in Lee's direction, and the two men headed down the metal staircase to meet the guard in the open common area.

"Who's on your list today?" Lee asked as they waited for the guard to sign them out.

"My sister, probably. Last time she was here, she told me my old man was sick. She promised she'd check in more often," Tucker stated with another nod. "You?"

Lee couldn't hide the smile on his face, "My wife and her oldest son."

"Her oldest son? Not yours?" Tucker asked with a wrinkled forehead.

Lee shook his head, "I got lucky. Ready-made family. Two teenage boys and a live-in mother-in-law."

Tucker laughed loudly as they began the slow trek to the visiting room. "You call that lucky? I'd hate to see what you called rough!"

Lee laughed along with him as they navigated the white-tiled halls. "It's not so bad. Her boys are great kids… smart… athletic… I can't even begin to tell you how great they are. And Dotty? She is the mother of all mothers. I mean, yeah, she has her moments, but after not having a mother for so long, I don't mind that one bit," he explained happily.

"Wait, how old were you when you lost your mom?" Tucker paused.

Lee placed his hand on Tucker's shoulder, "Well, I lost both my parents when I was five. How about you? Is your mom still alive?"

Tucker looked down at the floor and shook his head, "Nah. And I'm sure she's rolling in her grave at the person I became. Worst mistake I ever made was walking into that bank that day."

"Was that how you ended up here?" Lee questioned as they neared the door for the visiting room.

"I put my trust in the wrong man," Tucker admitted. He touched the gold cross that hung around his neck and looked skyward. "I didn't even have a gun, but that didn't matter. When you're part of the group that tries to rob a bank, you're all guilty."

They entered the room, and Lee immediately spotted Amanda and Philip sitting down, waiting for him. Philip's eyes lit up as soon as he made eye contact. "There, that's my wife and her oldest, Philip. He looks like he's gotten even taller since the last time I saw him," Lee exclaimed.

"Nice looking boy," Tucker stated. He scanned the visitors sitting and gasped, "I don't believe it. My sister actually got my dad to come. This can't be good."

Lee clapped him on the shoulder once more and said, "Keep the faith. Who knows, maybe he's not as sick as you thought."

"Yeah, who knows, right?" Tucker replied before the two men separated.

"Hey, Lee, you look pretty good in scrubs. Maybe you should become a nurse after this," Philip teased as Lee sat down.

"And you look like you need another haircut. What? Did you grow two more inches since the last time I saw you?" Lee teased right back.

Amanda unconsciously reached over and brushed Philip's hair off his face. "Mom, no," Philip groaned as he tried to bat her hand away. He ruffled his own hair and turned back to Lee, "Hey, all kidding aside… I've missed you."

"I miss you too, Chief," Lee smiled. He looked at Amanda and gave her a broader, dimpled smile as he stated, "But, I have to admit, I miss your cooking more."

"Thank you, Sweetheart. I won't tell you what I miss the most," Amanda teased right back.

"So, what did that guy do?" Philip pointed over at Tucker, who was now sitting with his family, holding hands with both his sister and his father. Lee didn't miss the sad look on his face.

"That is Tucker, and he tried to rob a bank," Lee informed him. "He's actually a pretty decent guy."

Philip laughed loudly, "If he was a decent guy, he wouldn't be in federal prison, now would he?"

"Philip!" Amanda hissed. "He made a mistake, and I'm sure he's sorry for what he did."

Lee shook his head, "As a matter of fact, he is. He was just telling me he trusted the wrong man."

"You mean like Mom has to trust her new partner?" Philip teased Amanda this time.

Amanda closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose as she exhaled slowly. "What's wrong with your mother's new partner?" Lee questioned.

"Nothing. There's nothing wrong with him. And he's not really my partner. He and I just work together, that's all. He hasn't even moved his stuff into my office yet," Amanda admitted.

"Fielder," Lee groaned before the muscle in his cheek began twitching wildly.

Philip nodded enthusiastically as he shifted in his seat, "Yeah, him. Mom was just telling Grandma that she has a… a…" he paused and snapped his fingers as he searched for the right word. "A case. That's what Grandma called it."

Lee stared at Amanda, "Is that true?"

Amanda picked at a crack on the tabletop as she admitted, "Yes. Billy is going to give us more details on Monday, but I might be gone for a few days, so I had to tell Mother the truth."

"A few days?" Lee repeated. "With Fielder? Well, this is just great!" he groaned.

Amanda reached out and covered Lee's hand with her own, "Sweetheart, don't you worry. I'm sure it's a simple case. Billy knows what he's doing."

"Yeah, setting my wife up with the biggest joke of an agent the Agency has ever seen," Lee groused.

"Hey, hey, Lee, did Mom tell you about the fingerprints?" Philip interrupted excitedly.

Amanda twisted her head in Philip's direction, "How do you know about the fingerprints?"

Philip covered his mouth with one hand and dragged his hand down his face before he admitted, "I was listening to your conversation with Miss Desmond last night while I was getting a glass of milk."

"Philip King, I don't believe you did that!" Amanda reprimanded him.

"Well, how am I supposed to learn anything if I don't listen in on your conversations now?" Philip retorted quickly.

Lee squeezed Amanda's hand before he lowered his tone and stated, "Philip, you owe your mother an apology. Listening in on anyone's conversations, no matter who's it is, is wrong."

Philip folded his arms across his chest and tipped his head as he questioned, "Isn't that what you do? Listen in on other people's conversations? Video them, follow them?"

Lee leaned forward as close as he dared and stated in the same low tone, "What we do for work is a matter of national security. I can't tell you how many times listening to a conversation has saved someone's life or stopped valuable information from getting into the wrong hands. It's not a joke or a game. It's real-life, and it can be very, very dangerous."

Philip stared at Lee, and his eyes wide as the reality of Lee's words sunk in. "I'm sorry," Philip whispered. He sunk down on his seat a few inches before Lee turned back to Amanda.

"So, what about the fingerprints?" Lee implored.

Amanda leaned forward and looked around. Lee couldn't help but smile at her cautious behavior, although it was completely unnecessary due to their current situation. "Francine found another set of prints on the clip of your Glock and on two of the bullets," she whispered with a knowing look.

"Well, who do they belong to?" Lee asked.

"We don't know. Mr. Ebert won't allow us to use any of the Agency resources," Amanda stated.

Lee frowned and asked, "Wait, so how did you know which prints were mine and which weren't if you're not able to use Agency resources?"

"Yeah, Mom? How'd you figure that out?" Philip asked, genuinely interested in her explanation.

Amanda glanced over at her son. She had momentarily forgotten he was sitting beside her. "Well, we used your shaving kit and your coffee mug to determine your fingerprints, and using a loupe, I was able to match all the other prints left but three," she explained.

"What's a loop?" Philip questioned.

"A loupe is used to magnify images… about the same size as a shot glass only a lot more powerful," Lee explained.

"You must be drinking the wrong things if you think a magnifying glass is more powerful than what's in a shot glass," Philip rolled his eyes and sat back in his chair.

Amanda's head snapped to the side. "And how would you know how powerful liquor is, Philip?" she demanded in a firm but quiet tone.

Philip squirmed slightly under her gaze. He looked to Lee for help, but his only response was a lift of his eyebrows. "I… um… I took a sip of something at Danny's a few weekends ago. It was only a sip, I promise. I didn't even like it," he stammered.

"We will be having a long talk on the way home tomorrow, on the importance and dangers of drinking," Amanda informed her son.

"In the meantime, maybe you two can fill me in on what's going on at home. How's Jamie been?" Lee broke the tension.

For the remainder of their visit, Amanda and Philip told Lee all about Jamie's change in behavior, their plans for Thanksgiving this year, Jamie's birthday, and even Dotty's newest love interest. When the announcement was made, visitations were over, Lee whispered, "I love you," before he brushed his lips across Amanda's knuckles. He held his hand out and gave Philip a firm shake. One guard stepped forward immediately, but Lee held his hand up to show it was empty. Philip followed Lee's lead and showed his hands as well. "I love you too, Sweetheart. We'll see you tomorrow," Amanda stated before they got up to leave. The guard stood close by until Lee and Tucker lined up near the wall, and Philip and Amanda disappeared through the doorway.

"How's your Dad?" Lee asked Tucker.

"Not good, but he did tell me he's not mad at me anymore. What do they call that? Making amends with your loved ones before you bite the bullet?" Tucker replied sadly.

Lee placed his hand on Tucker's shoulder once more, "As my wife would say, sometimes, that's for the best."


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 21**

"Fielder, Amanda, in my office," Billy bellowed from his doorway. Amanda quickly scrambled across the bullpen while Fielder took his time. He stopped and chatted with another agent for a moment before he finally reached Billy's door. "I'm sorry to take you away from your social hour, but you have work to do!" Billy reprimanded him. Fielder stepped into the office, where Billy abruptly slammed the door behind him.

"Good morning, Sir," Amanda attempted cheerfully.

Billy smiled in her direction, "Good morning, Amanda." He turned his attention to Fielder and glared at him until he sat down. "You two have a case, starting today."

"What kind of case, Sir?" Amanda asked, her tone still light.

"This case is going to take several days, unfortunately, so pack your bags. You'll both be going undercover in the Foxhill Village Estates. We've been getting reports of strange radio transmissions coming from that area only we can't get close enough to investigate," Billy explained.

"What kind of radio transmissions are we talking about, Sir?" Amanda questioned. She raised her eyebrows in interest.

"The Russian kind. Or at least we think they're Russian. But, since Foxhill is a gated community, it's been challenging to get anyone in there to investigate. That's where you two come in," Billy continued.

Fielder lifted his chin and tipped his head to the side slightly before he asked, "What's our cover? I mean, I'm sure if it's a gated community, they have their own regular maintenance teams. They would know something is off immediately if we showed up dressed like that."

"You're right, which is why I'm sending you two in as a new family to the neighborhood," Billy stated. He didn't miss the fallen expression on Amanda's face. He quickly added, "I know, Amanda, but I need you two to get a good look around, scan the neighborhood. We've designed some new equipment that looks like every day, ordinary devices, but they are really sophisticated scanners. Look, here comes Leatherneck now." Billy opened the door before Leatherneck had a chance to knock.

"Hey, there, Mr. Melrose, I have that stuff you asked for," Leatherneck announced. He entered the office and smiled, "Mornin' Mrs. Stetson, Fielder."

"Good morning, Leatherneck. Billy was just telling us you have some new equipment for us to use during our investigation," Amanda replied.

Leatherneck nodded and placed the box he was carrying onto the corner of Billy's desk. He reached inside and pulled out the first item. "This here may look like an ordinary Walkman radio, but in fact, it's a high-powered radio scanner. When you hit play, it immediately begins scanning a quarter-mile radius and transmits your exact position back here at the Agency. If it picks up on anything, it will transmit that position as well," Leatherneck beamed.

Fielder peered over the edge of the box, "What else you got in there?"

"Well, we have a shortwave radio scanner made to look like your ordinary alarm clock. Only this one has a recorder built right in. We also have a few sweepers and one of those new wireless remote controls for the TV," Leatherneck boasted.

Fielder lifted the rectangular device and inspected it, "What does it do? Shoot lasers or something?" He laughed at his own joke, although everyone else remained silent.

Leatherneck plucked the remote from his hand and explained, "Actually, by entering a specific series of numbers, you can use it to disable any transmission device you pick up in the area. Then, we can swoop in and play the hero. Something I know you're not too familiar with, right Fielder?" He grinned at the shocked expression on Fielder's face before he stated, "I better get going and make sure they finish packing everything up. I'll meet you two over there and give you a full rundown on how everything works. See you later." Leatherneck lifted the box and took it with him as he left the office, humming happily to himself.

"So, sir, what will our cover be?" Amanda asked after Billy sat down at his desk.

Billy handed each of them a file, "You are going to be Mr. and Mrs. Yates, a professional couple who just moved to the area. Amanda, you know what to do. Get to know everyone, mingle in the neighborhood all the while, and I will need you to be vigilant. We'll be sending agents over posing as electricians, cable men, anyone else we can come up with to support your cover if need be."

Fielder scanned his file and asked, "What am I supposed to do?"

Billy pointed at Amanda, "Follow her lead. She's got more experience in the suburban neighborhood settings. She blends in, has a keen sense about her. Stay with her at all times. You are her backup. Amanda is point on this investigation. If anything happens to her, Fielder, I will hold you personally responsible."

Fielder sat straighter in his chair. His head snapped from Amanda's direction back to Billy as he stammered, "But, Sir, I have more experience… more seniority than Mrs. Stetson. I should be point."

"Not this time, Fielder. Mrs. Stetson can, and will, run circles around you in this setting," Billy snapped.

"Thank you, Sir. I won't let you down, Sir," Amanda smiled. She stood to leave and announced, "I better get home and pack a bag. How many days should I tell my mother? She's going to want to know," Amanda asked.

Billy pressed his lips together tightly, "Three, maybe four tops, but this could go either way. We may find nothing. Let's just start with that. Oh, and don't forget to pick up a car in the Motor pool."

Amanda gave Fielder a weak smile, "You get the car, and I'll meet you back here in about two hours?"

Fielder checked his watch. "Can we make it three? I have an important phone call I have to make."

Billy narrowed his eyes at Fielder. "What's so important that you have to put off starting this case?"

"It's… it's one of my contacts… from overseas. He was getting back to me on… on… on that tip, we got about the new German threat in Munich," Fielder stammered nervously.

Billy groaned, "There's always a tip on a new German threat in Munich, man!" Fielder sheepishly looked down at the floor. "Fine, meet Amanda in three hours but not a minute more. Who knows what kind of messages are leaking out from that place, we don't need to delay shutting it down any longer."

"Yes, Sir," Fielder muttered before he slunk out of Billy's office.

Two hours later, the phone in Boudreaux's hotel room jangled. "It's all set," he exclaimed with no pleasantries.

"You're sure?" the voice on the other end questioned.

"It'll look like a regular ambush fight, only my man is going to be sure it ends badly for your Mr. Stetson," Boudreaux laughed.

Boudreaux could hear the phone being shuffled around, "I'm leaving in a minute, thanks," the muffled voice informed another unseen request. The phone shuffled once more, "And once I have confirmation, you'll have the rest of your money, and you and I will never meet again."

Boudreaux laughed once again, "Oh, I'm sure you'll call me again. After all, who else is going to do your dirty work for you? You're too good to get your hands bloody."

"I'm on assignment the next few days, but I'll contact you again as soon as I can," the voice exclaimed. The phone shuffled once more as the caller tried to cover the mouthpiece, "I said I'll be there. Tell her to wait outside for me." A little more muffled conversation, and the caller returned to Boudreaux, "I have to go. You better be sure this goes down right this time. I don't need any more headaches."

Boudreaux laughed long and loud this time as he stated, "The only headache you have is the one you give yourself. Until Stetson's death."

"That's right. Until then," the caller stated firmly as he hung up the phone.


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 22**

"So, explain to me how the holidays work here," Lee requested as he and Tucker lifted weights in the corner of the rec room.

Tucker carefully placed the bar onto the brackets and sat up. "Well, it's no different from any other day, really. Except they do serve turkey on Thanksgiving. They try to make it nice with some of the fixings… you know, mashed potatoes, stuffing, gravy, pumpkin pie as a treat, but it's not the same," he shook his head.

Lee closed his eyes and thought back to the previous year when he spent Thanksgiving with Amanda and the family for the first time. He was amazed by the spread of food Amanda and Dotty had made. By the end of the night, he was sound asleep on the couch in a food coma along with Philip.

"I'm sure your wife makes a great meal, doesn't she?" Tucker asked as he watched Lee's expression intently.

Lee's eyes snapped open, and he nodded, "Yeah. Her mother makes this delicious sausage and sage stuffing. I never tasted anything like it before, and believe me, I've eaten at some of the best restaurants all around the world." Lee traded places with Tucker on the bench and carefully lifted the weight bar. He winced when his ribs protested the extra weight, but instead of giving in to the pain, he shifted the bar upward and gritted his teeth.

"I know what you mean. My Ma could talk a cat off a milk truck with her sweet potato pie," Tucker laughed. Lee began to tip the weight to the side, pushing harder with his right hand as his ribs tightened. "Hey, I think you've had enough of this today. You want those ribs to get better, not shatter," Tucker teased as he grabbed at the lopsided bar and guided it onto the bracket.

"Thanks," Lee stated as he sat up, holding his tender ribs. "I forgot how long it takes for these to heal."

"Busted them a few times, have you?" Tucker asked as he took Lee's place on the bench once more.

"Busted, been shot at, bruised, you name it," Lee laughed. "Are visitations different?" Lee asked softly as Tucker lifted the bar again.

Tucker puffed out several breaths as he pumped the heavy bar. "Yeah, it's one of those times they allow more than two visitors at a time. And if you're really lucky, they have a whole visiting room just for you and your family. But that, my friend, is tough to get. Nearly impossible if you ask me. I mean, you have to be squeaky clean to even get visitors this weekend, never mind the room."

"Really. You know it's been almost five months since I've seen the family together. My wife, her boys, and my mother-in-law in the same room," Lee replied sadly. His attention was drawn to the other end of the room as a guard he was unfamiliar with walked into the room and stopped to talk to the Captain in charge. He lifted his chin in their direction and whispered, "Wonder what's up?"

Tucker sat up and wiped a line of sweat from the side of his face, "Eh, someone's probably in trouble. He's usually on the warden's floor."

"Stetson!" the Captain called out. "Warden Ryan wants to see you."

Tucker's eyes widened immediately, "What'd you do?"

"I didn't do anything," Lee insisted. He quickly scoured his brain for any event over the last few days that might warrant his name getting called. His immediate thought was whatever the reason it may potentially jeopardize his chances of seeing Amanda this coming weekend. Lee slowly began to weave his way around the tables and chairs in the center of the room when the phone on the guard's desk jangled to life.

"Tucker! Medical!" the guard called out a minute later.

Tucker jogged up behind Lee, and together the two men approached the guard station. They watched as the captain reached for his radio to call for another transport guard. "Hey, why don't I just tag along with these guys? Save someone a trip. Medical's on the way," Tucker suggested.

"Warden wants Stetson now," the guard insisted.

"Tucker's right. CERT can't spare anyone right now. They're shaking down Unit Nine," the captain stated. "Looks like you're taking both of them, Brewer."

Officer Brewer gave Tucker a once-over before he stated, "You give me any trouble, and I'll have you thrown in Solitary."

Tucker held up his hands as Lee immediately snapped, "What's your problem? He just needs to get his daily meds."

"Same thing goes for you, Stetson," Brewer sneered at Lee. "Let's go."

Tucker rolled his eyes and leaned close to Lee, "Who spit in his lunch today?" Lee covered his snicker with a cough as the two men fell in line behind the officer as they stepped into the hallway.

As Lee and Tucker followed Officer Brewer through the winding halls of the prison, Amanda was standing in the kitchen of the home in the Foxhill Village Estates, Fielder's arm around her back while his hand rested on her hip. She was trying hard to smile and keep up the conversation with Joe and Donna Vargas, the neighbors that lived next door. She turned to Fielder and, in a sweet tone, stated, "Excuse me, Dear, I think I need a refill on my drink. Would you like one?"

Fielder squeezed her before he shook his head, "No, darling, I'm all set. But maybe you should check with the others. See if anyone else needs to be topped off."

Amanda groaned inwardly as she stepped away from him. "Of course," she smiled in his direction. She filled her glass with cider before she slowly strolled into the main living area. She scanned the room where several couples stood together, chatting in small groups before spotting one particular couple standing alone near the large picture window. She glanced over her shoulder at Fielder before she made her way to the young, professional-looking pair. "Mary and Charlie?" she asked tentatively.

"Charles, please," the stiff-standing man stated. "Your home is lovely. I have to say; I'm impressed at the rate you were able to unpack. It took us weeks, and even then, I think we still have boxes we haven't touched yet."

Amanda shrugged her shoulders, smiled, and stated, "Well, it's just one of those things. A good moving company and Fred doesn't like anything out of place." She unconsciously glanced toward the kitchen as Fred's voice floated out.

Mary reached out and placed her hand on Amanda's arm, "I understand."

As if Fielder knew they were discussing him, he appeared and immediately hugged Amanda against his side once more. "So, Charles, how long have you and Mary been married?" he asked with a tip of his head.

"Three years," Mary responded immediately. Charles simply nodded his agreement.

"Well, Amanda and I are still newlyweds," Fred announced with a hint of pride in his voice. He planted a kiss on her cheek.

"Dear, not now. We should attend to the rest of our guests," Amanda chastised him. She tried to keep her tone playful but hoped he still got the hint. "Excuse me. I think I may have left something in the car," she muttered as once again, she untangled herself from his hands and headed outside. Alone, she inhaled and exhaled several times. She blinked rapidly and tried to stop the tears forming in her eyes. "Keep it together, Amanda. Keep it together," she mumbled. "I really wish Fred would keep his hands to himself. Lee would know better."

She reached into her pocket and pulled out a small device disguised as a car alarm key fob. "Work. Do what we are here to do," she instructed herself. She held the button down and pointed the device in several directions. She watched for the telltale red light Leatherneck explained would indicate a signal, but after scanning the immediate area, she came up empty.

Amanda heard the front door close, and Fielder appeared beside her. "Anything yet?" he asked after noticing the scanner in her hand.

Amanda shook her head, "No. I think maybe later tonight we should try that Walkman scanner. Things should be a little quieter."

"Good plan. I know Billy wants an update first thing in the morning, too," Fred agreed.

Amanda looked around, "I can drop that off while I go shopping. I mean, it's still Thanksgiving week, and I have a lot to do at home. This case couldn't have come at the worst time."

Fred laughed, "I wouldn't know what that's like. I show up at my sister's house, eat with her family and head home with a big bag of leftovers."

Amanda folded her arms and rubbed her shoulders, "Not me. We have all the vegetables to prepare, the pies to make, the turkey to prep. My mother is already angry with me enough about working this week, the least I can do is shop for everything."

"Cold?" Fred asked. He started to take off his jacket for her, but she shook her head.

"Fred, we need to talk," she began. She lifted her hand and brushed her fingers down the lapel of his jacket. "Fred, you know we are only pretending to be married, and you don't have to-" she tried.

"Someone's coming!" he hissed. Without warning, he pulled her close to him and pressed his lips against hers.


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter 23**

"Fred! Let go of me!" Amanda hissed against his lips as he continued to hold her, pinned against him. When Fielder didn't release her, Amanda planted her hands on his chest and gave him a hard shove. Fielder faltered backward a step and looked at her dumbfounded.

"What?" he questioned.

Amanda glared at him, and in an uncharacteristic motion, she raised her hand and slapped him across the face. She clenched her teeth and ground out, "Don't you ever touch me again, do you hear me?"

"But… but I was just trying to stay in character," Fred sneered back as he held his hand against his stinging cheek.

Amanda shook her head as tears began to fill her eyes, "No. I don't believe you. I think this was a ruse you played just so you could do that. There's no one around, and you know it."

Fred scanned the surrounding area and had to agree with Amanda. There was no one in sight, only a pair of squirrels chasing each other through the fallen leaves. "That must have been what I heard. I'm… I'm sorry. I got carried away. I just thought-" he stammered.

"That's just it! You weren't thinking! Lee would never have behaved the way you have since this assignment began," she snapped. "You've spent too much time focusing on me and our cover. You haven't done one bit of actual work!" Amanda reprimanded him. She exhaled loudly, looked around, and stated, "I'm going for a walk around the neighborhood to clear my head. But if you think I'm going to tolerate that behavior for much longer, you've got another thing coming, Buster!"

Amanda turned and headed down the driveway, leaving Fielder alone, scratching his head. A minute later, Joe Vargas appeared behind Fielder, "Everything okay? Your wife seems pretty upset."

Fielder jumped nervously at the sound of Joe's voice. "Yeah… um… she's pretty upset about the move. You know… leaving her family behind. But she'll get over it. She just needs a little time. That's why she went for a walk… you know how it is," he rushed out.

Joe shook his head and laughed, "Women! I'll never understand 'em. Been married almost fifteen years and you know, still, to this day, I couldn't tell you why my wife goes off sometimes. Just like that." Joe snapped his fingers to prove his point. "One minute she's fine, the next, smoke is pouring out of her ears." Fielder gave him a weak smile. "You know what you need? You need more of that eggnog Maryellen made. That stuff will cure all you're ailments."

Joe put his arm around Fred's shoulders and led him back toward the house as he continued to console him with anecdotes about his own wife's behavior. Fred looked over his shoulder and barely caught sight of Amanda rounding the corner before she disappeared entirely from his view. Part of him thought she shouldn't be alone, and he should be there for backup, but another part assured him he needed to keep their cover and stay with the neighbors.

An hour later, Amanda returned with a smile on her face. She apologized to everyone for her disappearance, stating she just needed a walk in the cool, brisk air to clear her senses. Slowly, their new "neighbors" said their goodbyes with promises to help with yard work or anything else they may need. Once the last pair left, Amanda pulled Fred into the kitchen and turned the radio on loudly. She pulled him into the small pantry and whispered, "I think I found something."

"What do you mean you found something?" he questioned louder than he'd intended.

Amanda shushed him and tapped her ear, indicating someone may be listening to them. She leaned close to him, and in a low tone, she explained, "I got a hit two streets over. It's the only grey house on that street, so maybe you can take that other scanner and head over there. If you follow it around, it will bring you right back here. Then we can have Billy send out a crew."

"Oh, good plan, Amanda. Let me change into some sweats or something. You know, make it look like I'm out exercising," Fielder added.

Amanda rolled her eyes, "You do that, and I'll notify Billy." She pushed Fielder out of the small space and shooed him in the direction of the stairs. "Go, get changed," she instructed. Once she heard his footsteps on the stairs, she began methodically cleaning up the kitchen and the surrounding rooms, waiting for the right moment to call in the next team.

While Amanda was dealing with Fielder, Lee and Tucker found themselves cornered by five inmates in a stairwell, with Officer Brewer nervously hovering around the small group. Two inmates held sharpened handmade weapons in their hands, ready to strike at any moment. Lee looked around and mentally sized everyone up. "How do you feel about these odds?" Tucker asked sarcastically.

"Depends on how you feel?" Lee groaned back.

Without warning, one inmate lunged forward and tried to draw Lee away from Tucker with a lead hook to Lee's ribs. Lee jumped back, avoiding the punch before landing one of his own on the man's jaw. The inmate swung again, only this time, Tucker shoved him out of the way, where he fell headfirst onto the concrete stairs with a groan.

"Get up! Get up!" Brewer shouted at the injured inmate who simply shook his head in return.

Another inmate, one of the two holding weapons, jabbed the blade at Lee's arm. Lee pulled away in the nick of time and quickly landed a solid kick to the man's stomach, sending him stumbling backward out of the group. "Two down," Tucker laughed.

"Three to go," Lee countered as he scanned one man to the next, wondering which one was going to strike next. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Brewer trying to lift the inmate off the floor. Before he could say anything, two more men rushed him at the same time, each one grabbing an arm as they tried to punch his ribs with a free hand. Lee struggled against them as Tucker went after the last assailant holding the other weapon. Lee managed to get one arm free and shoved one man into the other as he swung wildly, striking one man in the nose. A gush of blood followed, but that immediately earned Lee a blow to the face, splitting his lip.

The men continued to struggle for dominance, Tucker receiving one slice to his thigh as he managed to get the weapon out of the inmate's hand. Lee fought hard against the other two, taking several punches to his already tender ribs and one to the face. He grabbed ahold of one inmate's shirt and twisted it around his throat until the man began to struggle to breathe. With one cross punch, he crumpled to the floor, leaving Lee to fend off one more inmate.

Several feet away, Tucker wrestled with one of the inmates until he, too, managed to incapacitate him. Lee took on the last opponent, and after trading blow for blow, punch for punch, Lee got the upper hand, and with a swift headbutt, the inmate slid to the floor. Lee looked around to see Brewer on his radio, halfway down the hallway, calling for help.

Lee laughed at the scene around them and offered Tucker help to his feet with an outstretched hand. "Well, I think we took care of these desperados pretty well," he joked.

Without warning, from behind Lee, the first inmate he had knocked down, charged. He was holding one of the sharpened weapons, and it was pointing straight at Lee's back. "Watch out!" Tucker shouted as he slammed into Lee just as the weapon made contact. He managed to land one strategic punch at the man's head, and three of them collapsed onto the ground, covered in blood.


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter 24**

Lee stood next to Tucker's bedside as the nurse finished stitching his side. "I don't even know how to thank you. If you didn't push me out of the way…" Lee held out his hand.

"Hey, don't. I did what any decent person would do," Tucker assured him.

"No, you saved my life. I didn't see him coming," Lee insisted.

Tucker reached up and gripped Lee's hand tightly, "One day you can repay the favor. Let's just hope this doesn't put us both in Solitary, though. Ryan's a hard-ass about fighting."

Lee lifted his head and spotted Tony, the guard, walking into the infirmary. "Hey… this is just a hunch, but I don't think that was an accident. It felt more like an ambush. I'm just going to talk to the guard over there… If it was, I think he can help." He released Tucker's hand and anxiously made his way to the corner Tony was standing in. "Hey, can I talk to you for a second?" Lee asked. Tony raised an eyebrow, so Lee added, "Privately."

"Yeah, we can talk over here," Tony jerked his head to the side. Lee followed him to a small corner by the medicine dispensing station. "What's up?" He glanced down at Lee's blood-soaked shirt and quickly asked, "What the hell happened to you?"

"That's what I want to talk to you about. What do you know about Brewer?" Lee asked softly.

Tony shrugged his shoulders, "Not much. He's only been here a couple of years, but he keeps to himself mostly. Why? Do you think he has something to do with what happened to you?" Tony tilted his head to the side and examined Lee's bruised cheek and split lip.

"I don't know, but how did Tucker and I end up in a stairwell with five other guys, two with obvious weapons?" Lee questioned. He glanced around at the other inmates currently being attended to by the nurses, "I just have a bad feeling it was a setup… an ambush, but I don't know how to prove it."

Tony looked past Lee's shoulder at Brewer. He was fidgeting with the notepad and pen he was given to write out his report. "And for a guy who wasn't involved, he looks pretty nervous to me. Most guys just write down what they saw, but Warden Ryan's been watching the videos, and he hasn't written one word yet. He's been sitting there since you guys got down here. Warden Ryan sent me down to check on things," he observed.

Lee tried to open his mouth, but his split lip caused him to pause and touch it gingerly. "I wish I could get a call to my boss… have him do a quick background on Brewer," Lee sighed.

"Maybe you can. Is that the guy that's listed as your lawyer's paralegal?" Tony raised an eyebrow.

"I think so. He's come in with my lawyer a few times, so he must be listed as counsel," Lee agreed.

Tony watched over Lee's shoulder as Brewer finally stopped fiddling with the pen and began to write. "You know you can call your lawyer anytime, right? All you got to do is head to Ryan's office and make the call from there. I'll even bring you down there myself," Tony encouraged. "And I have an idea I want to check out."

Lee looked up, his hazel eyes hopeful. "Hang on, I just need to do this first," he stated before he found his way back to Tucker's bedside. "How you doing?"

Tucker groaned as he shifted his position on the uncomfortable gurney, "I'll survive, I guess. What were you and Tony chatting about?"

"Listen, Kemosabe, I have an idea about what happened, and Tony's going to bring me to Ryan's office to call my lawyer. I'm putting in a good word for you if this pans out," Lee explained softly.

"Good word or nothing, just let me know if I'm packing my stuff tonight," Tucker groaned again.

"No one is packing anything, unless we're leaving this joint," Lee assured him before he clapped him on the shoulder. He found his way back to Tony, who announced loudly, "That's it, Stetson. You're coming with me to Ryan's office. Enough is enough!" Tony roughly yanked Lee's arm behind his back and slapped handcuffs on his wrists.

"Hey, hey, I said it wasn't my fault!" Lee stammered back.

"Yeah, tell it to someone who cares!" Tony snapped back as he shoved Lee into the hallway, away from Brewer, who was now watching intently as they disappeared.

Back at the Agency, Amanda slipped into the viewing room with Francine, "How are you doing?"

Francine held up one of the black video cassette tapes and groaned, "Nothing on tape twenty-six. Up next, number twenty-seven. Amanda, I'm beginning to feel like we are looking for a needle in a haystack."

"Well, we knew it wasn't going to be easy. Which ones are these from?" Amanda asked as she slipped into the seat beside her.

"The marina, 2nd Street West and M Street. Nothing. Lee's car isn't in any of these," Francine groaned.

Amanda gave her a genuine smile and reminded her, "Well then, that's good. We don't want to find Lee's car in any of those. Let's shift and take a look at some of the tapes from Columbia Pike and Arlington Boulevard. I know there's not that many of those because it's mostly houses or apartment buildings, but we did get a few businesses."

Francine returned her smile as she stated, "Yes, we did. Good idea, Amanda." She dropped the tape she was holding back into the box and placed it on the floor. She lifted another box and pulled out the first cassette. "PenFed Credit Union. Arlington Boulevard and 2nd Street North," she read off. Amanda made a note on a small notepad beside her as Francine inserted the tape and hit play. The video began to play, and they knew from the sunlight and shadows on the sidewalk they were looking at the wrong time of day. They checked the timestamp on the video and began to fast forward.

"Here it comes," Amanda motioned for Francine to slow the machine down. They watched the clock tick, and after eight minutes, they both watched as a silver sports car passed by. Francine paused the machine and checked the timestamp. "Yeah, that would be about right. That bank is about twenty minutes from home, and there it is… almost to the second," Amanda nodded with wide eyes before she wrote down the time stamp on her notepad.

"Well, let's see if we can catch Lee's return trip. He did state he took the same route home, right?" Francine questioned.

"He sure did," Amanda confirmed. Together they studied the footage until they again got a clear shot of a silver sports car speeding past. "Francine, do you think you can back that up enough to get the driver?" Amanda asked.

Francine nodded, "I can try. Let's just hope the image is clear enough." She rewound the tape a few seconds and frame by frame advanced the video until she stopped on a near-perfect still of Lee's face clearly visible through the windshield. Before she could print it, they heard the rattle of the door behind them. Scrambling, Francine quickly changed the video image to a second machine and loudly stated, "I think that's Bryce Topping right there."

The door pushed inward, and Mr. Ebert stepped inside. "Oh, hello, Mr. Ebert. What can we do for you today?" Amanda asked sweetly.

"Mrs. Stetson, Miss Desmond. What are you two doing in here?" Mr. Ebert demanded in his squeaky tone.

"We were just going over the videotapes from that Embassy party last weekend," Francine informed him with a straight face. She blinked several times as if she were challenging him to question her.

Amanda raised her hands and shrugged as she stated, "I just stopped in to see if I could give Francine a hand. Fred Fielder and I were able to wrap up that case in Foxhill Village Estates. Did you know there were Russian intelligent agents there? And no one suspected a thing. I know I didn't suspect them when I first met them, but Karen and Derek Moore were Russian spies." Amanda emphasized her admission with several bobs of her head. "You know, they seemed like the nicest people. I had my suspicions pegged on Mary and Charles, not Karen and Derek, but that just goes to show, you can't judge a book by its cover. And you know what, speaking of cover, I should probably get back up into the Q Bureau to see if Fred needs any help writing his report," she rambled. She stood up, prepared to move closer to the door.

Mr. Ebert narrowed his eyes at the two women and stated, "You both know the rules now. No work is done here unless it's directly related to something you're currently working on. And from what you just told me, Mrs. Stetson, you were not directly assigned to these… these…" He waved his hand over the machines on the small table.

"Surveillance videos?" Francine interjected.

"Yes, surveillance videos. Mrs. Stetson, as I was saying. You were not directly assigned, but I suppose since you did finish your other assignment earlier than anticipated and you already turned your report in, Miss Desmond might appreciate the extra set of eyes," Mr. Ebert informed them.

Amanda slowly sat back down and smiled," Why thank you, Mr. Ebert. I'm sure Francine appreciates my help as well. You know, my mother used to say I could see the tiniest little seashell in the middle of a pile of sand at the beach. I don't understand why she would say something like that, though, because we didn't go to the beach very often."

Mr. Ebert twitched his head slightly as his mouth dropped open. He stared at them, unblinking behind his thick glasses, until finally, he spoke, his voice an octave higher than usual, "I'll let you two ladies get back to work. I need to check in with Mr. Beaman now." He slunk out of the room, leaving Francine and Amanda alone once again.

"Seashell?" Francine blinked.

Amanda tried hard to hold back the giggles as she stated, "Hey, I would have said anything to get him to leave, and that was the first thing that popped into my head." She finally got her composure and reminded her, "We should print that image before he comes back or if anyone else shows up."

"You're right. Have you heard Beaman is now his favorite stooge? I heard he's looking for a promotion, and he thinks Ebert will finally give it to him," Francine groaned as she flipped the video feed once more. She quickly depressed the print button and waited until the image was finally completed before she tore it off and handed it to Amanda. "Hide this in one of those files over there, just in case."

"How about this one? Morrissey House. I'm not sure what it means, but it'll do the trick for now," Amanda announced.

"Good, now let's see what else we can find," Francine stated as she ejected the videocassette and pushed in another one.


	26. Chapter 26

**Chapter 25**

"Stetson, you want me to believe you're a target? That you're being singled out? Out of all the inmates here?" Warden Ryan asked incredulously.

"Yes! There's no way that fight was an accident," Lee insisted. He looked over to Tony for help.

"Sir, Stetson's right. There's no way all five of those guys just happened to be there. That had to be planned," Tony defended.

Warden Ryan leaned back in his chair and shook his head, "And? What makes that any different from any other fight that occurs around here?"

Lee looked down at the blood-soaked shirt he was still wearing and pleaded, "Sir, please. I just want to call my lawyer. I need to tell him what happened. He might be able to help get more information for me. Please?"

Warden Ryan gestured toward the phone and stated, "I'll give you five minutes and no more. Tony, you stay here with Stetson. I'm going to head down to Controls and see if they have any surveillance feeds to back up his claim."

"Thank you, sir. Thank you!" Lee gushed. Warden Ryan stood, left the room, and pulled the door closed behind him, muttering softly, "Singled out… ambush… I've heard it all now". Lee lifted the phone and immediately dialed Billy's direct extension.

"Melrose!" Billy barked into the phone.

Lee exhaled at the sound of his voice. "Billy, it's Scarecrow," Lee breathed. "I need your help."

"Lee! What's wrong?" Billy demanded. He quickly sat up in his chair and leaned into the phone.

"I need you to do a background check on a guard here, last name Brewer," Lee stated.

Billy scrambled for a pen and scribbled down the last name, "Ok, first name."

"First name?" Lee raised his eyebrows at Tony.

"Gerard, Gerry," Tony nodded. "His birthday is in October. October nineteenth." Lee screwed up his face in a confused sneer. "It's the day before my niece's, okay. I'm not a stalker or anything. It just stuck out in my mind because it's the day before Livvie's."

"His birthday is October nineteenth, apparently," Lee repeated slowly.

"Got it," Billy wrote down everything and asked again, "Lee, what's going on?"

Lee shifted the phone to his other ear and said, "We were ambushed, I'm pretty sure. Five guys, two weapons. Brewer was involved, I know he was. He kept trying to get the assailants to get up and come after us."

Billy slammed his hand down on the desk, "What? What do you mean us?"

"Tucker and I… another inmate I met in the PC unit. He's a good guy, took a shank to the ribs for me, Billy. He saved my life," Lee explained.

Billy pressed his lips together and nodded, "Okay… well, when I get to meet Mr. Tucker, I'm gonna shake his hand in thanks. Now, let's see if we can dig anything up on Brewer. What does Warden Ryan have to say about this?"

Lee shook his head, "He doesn't believe me. But why should he? He's right… what makes me any different than anyone else in here?"

"Lee, from what Amanda and Francine have found, someone went to a lot of trouble to set you up. You may be in more danger now that they are uncovering more and more," Billy informed him.

"What? What else did they find?" Lee demanded. He was interrupted when Warden Ryan walked into the room carrying a surveillance videotape in his hand. "Billy, Warden Ryan is back and if the look on his face means anything, I think he knows I'm telling the truth."

Warden Ryan held out his hand and questioned, "Is that your lawyer?"

"One of 'em, yeah," Lee nodded.

Warden Ryan took the phone from Lee and asked, "This is Warden Ryan. Who is this?"

"I am William Melrose, Section Chief at the Agency and Lee's paralegal," Billy stated authoritatively.

"Well, Mr. Melrose, after what I just watched, your man here might actually be right. So, what are we going to do about this?" Warden Ryan demanded.

Billy pursed his lips tightly again and stated, "Well, that depends on what evidence you have."

"Bring his lawyer, tomorrow, three o'clock and I'll show you myself. I owe him an apology," Warden Ryan admitted before he hung up the phone.

In DC, Billy dropped the receiver onto the cradle on his desk. He stared at the notepad and sighed heavily. He picked up the phone again and dialed Francine's extension. "I need you to find everything you can on a guard at Lee Penitentiary. Brewer, Gerard. Birthday October nineteenth," he commanded as soon as he heard her voice.

"Why? What's this about?" she asked softly, as she wrote down the information.

"Lee thinks he might have been ambushed today and the Warden just about confirmed it," Billy informed her.

Francine gasped, "What? Is he okay? Is he hurt?"

"No, from what I understand Lee's fine but another inmate took a shank to his ribs in Lee's place. Francine, you need to be careful. Make sure no one knows what you're doing," Billy advised.

"Okay, will do," Francine replied. She glanced around the bullpen and made mental notes of anyone in her direct vicinity who may be listening to her conversation. "I'll be sure to let Mr. Ebert know," she raised her voice slightly.

"Good. Let me know as soon as you find something," Billy understood as he peered out the window of his office. He watched as Francine hung up the phone, stood, and carefully made her way through the bullpen and down the hall. He wasn't surprised to see Fred Fielder lift his head and follow her.

An hour later, Jackson Boudreaux was startled when the phone in his hotel room jangled to life. "I've been waiting for you to call," he sneered into the phone.

"What went wrong?" the voice demanded.

Boudreaux groaned, "Why are you always so negative? This was only a dry run."

"Dry run? Your man put five guys on him and he managed to evade all of them. He's not your run of the mill criminal. Stetson's smart," the voice insisted.

"And I tole you not to worry so much. My guy will take care of it, just like I took care of Dr. Smyth for you," Boudreaux assured the caller.

The voice broke into a near-hysterical screech, "Take care of him? _**I**_ took care of him. _**I**_ was the one who got Stetson's gun. _**I**_ made sure there were enough bullets in there to get the job done. _**I**_ got Smyth there under the pretense _**I**_ had information for him that Stetson was a double agent. Hell, I even told him I had **_proof_ **he was double-dealing!"

"But you didn't have the balls to pull the trigger, now did you? That's why you hired me and unless I get the rest of my money real soon, I'm going to start dropping my own dimes on you," Boudreaux hissed back.

"You'll get your money! I told you, as soon as I knew Stetson was a goner," the voice snapped back. "I just… I just need a little more time."

"Your time is running out," Boudreaux warned before he slammed the phone down.

A few minutes later, the phone at Amanda's house shrilled. After the second ring, she jogged down the stairs and answered it, "Hello?"

"Amanda! I hope I'm not interrupting anything," Joe's voice sounded strained.

"Aw, no, Joe. You're not interrupting anything. I was just putting the boys' laundry away," Amanda assured him sweetly.

Joe sighed, "Don't you think they're a little too old for you to be doing that for them still?"

Amanda closed her eyes and shook her head in frustration, "I'm sorry, Joe. You called because why?"

Joe exhaled loudly before he asked nervously, "Do you remember that bank account we set up for Philip right after he was born?"

"Yeah, the one you had the EAO take money right out of your paycheck for. What about it?" Amanda questioned.

"Do you… do you have the last statement for it?" Joe stuttered.

Amanda shifted the phone to her shoulder as she reached up and flipped through several envelopes in the holder on the wall beside the phone. "I have it right here, Joe. What's this all about?"

"How much is in there?" Joe demanded, ignored her question.

"There's just over ten thousand dollars. And by the time he gets to college, it should be enough to pay for most of his first two years," Amanda stated firmly.

"I was thinking of taking the money out early," Joe informed her.

Amanda frowned. "Joe, what are you talking about? Take the money out early? This account was your idea in the first place," she reminded him.

"I know. But Philip and I were talking the other day and he was talking about this car that he wanted to buy and I just thought maybe he'd get more use out of a decent car, that's all. He's not really into the idea of going to college so I just thought-" Joe tried to explain before Amanda cut him off.

"No! That money is for his education, whether he goes to a big university or a community college. That's important for his future," she insisted.

Joe groaned, "I know, Amanda, but he's not into school, so why force that on him?"

"The answer is no, Joe, and that's final," Amanda stated firmly before hanging up the phone.


	27. Chapter 27

**Chapter 26**

The next day, promptly at three o'clock, Billy, Ambrose Schortmann, and Lee were sitting in Warden Ryan's office. "I'm sorry I don't really know what to say. Nothing like this has ever happened at this institution since I've been running it," Warden Ryan apologized.

"What did you find?" Billy asked pointedly.

Warden Ryan pushed the videotape into the machine and explained, "I had another copy made for you, Mr. Schortmann. I figure if Stetson is going to press charges against the other inmates as well as Brewer, well, I wanted you to have the proof we saw."

Ambrose Schortmann pushed his glasses onto the bridge of his nose and asked, "When you say press charges, are you suggesting Mr. Stetson has a reason to do so?"

Warden Ryan nodded his head, "After what I watched, he'd be crazy not to. We've isolated everyone involved, including Stetson and Tucker. They are, and I repeat, Stetson and Tucker are not going to be punished whatsoever for this incident."

"Tucker already has his punishment. He took a hit that could have killed him. He saved my life," Lee snapped angrily. "That should have been me in Medical, getting my side stitched up, not him."

Warden Ryan gave Lee a sympathetic look, "I understand. And I've even talked to our Parole Review Board about that this morning. With Tucker's actions, it was agreed that he will be receiving a reduction in his sentence."

Lee's mouth dropped open in surprise, "I know he'll be glad to hear that. It doesn't change anything right now, but it gives him something to look forward to."

In the hall, they heard the squeak of shoes on the tile floor, and several seconds later, Tony entered the room, breathless. "Sorry I'm late. Shift change, and my relief just got here. Did I miss anything?" he panted.

"Not at all. Tony Conlin, this is Stetson's lawyers, Mr. Schortmann and Mr. Melrose," Warden Ryan gestured at everyone in the room.

Tony reached out his hand to Mr. Schortmann, "It's nice to meet you." He turned to Billy, already waiting to shake hands, "Lee has talked a lot about you, sir." Tony sat down in the last open chair and waited.

"As I was just explaining, I have made an extra copy of this video for Stetson, should he choose to press charges," Warden Ryan repeated. "I'm going to warn you. I was quite shocked by what I saw here." He pressed play, and the group watched the birds-eye view of the previous day's fight.

Billy's face grew tighter and tighter as each second clicked by. By the time it ended, he slammed his hand down on the desk and demanded, "How does something like this happen?!"

Warden Ryan shook his head and admitted, "I don't know."

"Billy, what did you find out about Brewer?" Lee turned to him.

"Well, Brewer's been working here for five years. He does have a bit of a gambling problem. Likes to make trips down to Baton Rouge several times a year, and from what we've been able to dig up, he loses more than his annual salary each time," Billy informed him.

"So, who's footing him the money?" Lee asked.

"Well, there are a few loan sharks down there we started looking into, but nothing's panned out yet," Billy shrugged.

Warden Ryan steepled his fingers and asked, "Do you think Brewer's actions here could be a result of money he owes someone else?"

"It's possible. We've seen all sorts of crazy deals made by loan sharks in the past," Billy suggested.

"Interesting," Ambrose interjected as he quickly scribbled down a few notes of his own.

Tony raised his hand slightly and stated, "I don't know if this means anything or not, but when I was on my way down here, I cut through Brewer's unit. I didn't see him, so I checked the captain's office, and he was on the phone. He didn't look too happy, either."

"The captain's office? No one's supposed to be in there unless the captain's with them," Warden Ryan snapped.

"Captain Paul was taking headcount," Tony stated.

Warden Ryan lifted the phone on his desk and dialed an extension, "Communications? I need a phone log of all calls coming in and out of Unit Ten in the last four months. Yes, the last four months, all calls." He paused for a few seconds and added, "As soon as you can get it to my office." He turned back to Billy, "This is going to take a while."

"I have nothing but time when it comes to getting to the bottom of this. Now, you've already stated Tucker is going to get a reduction on his parole. What do you plan on doing for Lee?" Billy questioned.

Warden Ryan sighed, "Well, very clearly, that is not going to be an option for Stetson."

"What about the visitation rooms?" Tony piped up.

Lee's eyes widened with excitement. "Yeah, Tucker was telling me about those, but with everything that's been happening, I didn't get a chance to write a request letter. I know you can't do much about my sentence, because, let's be honest, it's all irrelevant at this point. But I would like to spend time with my family. My whole family. This weekend."

Warden Ryan pursed his lips tightly before he reached over and pulled a three-ring binder off the shelf. He flipped through several pages before he sighed. "All the rooms are filled for this weekend, but I'll make something happen." He closed the book and looked at the faces of everyone in the room, "I am going to make myself abundantly clear. Stetson is still here because he was convicted of murder, and I am not condoning what he has been accused of. I am simply balancing the scales, so to speak."

"In other words, when all of this hits the fan, you don't want to be covered in the flying-" Lee snarked.

"Lee!" Billy barked. "The man is offering you a chance to see Amanda AND the boys this weekend. Don't mess that up with your mouth." Billy turned back to Warden Ryan and stated, "Excuse him. He forgets he still has manners. We appreciate your offer, Warden Ryan."

Warden Ryan turned to Tony, "For your help in this matter, Tony, I'll be sure Payroll adds eight hours of credit time to your account."

"Wow," Tony gasped. "I didn't expect anything, Warden. I was just doing my job, but when I heard what happened… I know Lee's a good guy. To be honest, I still don't believe he shot anyone in cold blood like that either. If keeping my ear to the ground and my eyes open helps a good man, then, so be it. And if we can get a corrupt CO out of circulation… well, I feel like I'm just returning a favor from long ago. Balancing my own scales, sir."

"Understood," Warden Ryan blinked.

"With that being said, if I'm no longer needed, I'd like to head home. I'm back in tomorrow morning, and just like I said, I'll keep my eyes and ears open. If I get anything else, I'll let you know," Tony stated before he rose to his feet.

Billy stood and reached out to shake his hand once more. "Thanks." Tony smiled in return and disappeared into the hall.

Warden Ryan also stood and stated, "If you gentlemen need more time to discuss anything, I have another small conference room across the hall you can use. In the meantime, I have a few calls of my own I need to make, starting with our own internal investigation board."

"Thank you. We shouldn't be too long. We'd like to give Lee a full update on what we've discovered so far for his appeal," Billy nodded.

"Just let me know when Stetson needs to be brought back to his unit. I'll have him escorted back," Warden Ryan stated.

Ambrose pushed his glasses up his nose once more and suggested, "How can you trust anyone now?"

"There's only one CO I'd trust to escort him now. My son," Warden Ryan informed the group.

"Well, then, where is this conference room?" Ambrose questioned enthusiastically.


	28. Chapter 28

**Chapter 27**

"I can't believe they took away the cookies I made for Lee. Those were his favorites, you know!" Dotty whined as she paced. "I was going to make sugar cookies, the ones with the sprinkles on them, but then I remembered how much Lee loved my oatmeal walnut raisin cookies, so I thought I would whip up a batch to cheer him up!" she continued.

Amanda just shook her head, "I told you they weren't going to let you bring those in, Mother. The rules are very clear. Letters are fine, but anything homemade, like cookies or cakes, is not allowed."

Dotty twisted her head to look in Amanda's direction, "Well, it is a holiday. You would think they would make some kind of allowance on holidays. After all, it's not like Lee's a real criminal."

"Mother," Amanda groaned.

"You know he didn't do that awful thing they said he did," Dotty waved her hand at her daughter.

Philip lifted his head and interjected, "Grandma, the jury really thought Lee popped that old guy."

"Philip, how many times do we have to go over this?" Amanda questioned her son with a raised eyebrow.

"Ok-aaaay," Philip groaned. "The jury really thought Lee shot that older man in the chest with two bullets before he pushed his dead body into the water." He flashed his eyes at Amanda and added, "Is that better?"

Hearing voices outside, Amanda glanced over at the door nervously. "Mom? Is Lee going to be here soon?" Jamie asked in a small voice. He was sitting on a small couch in the corner, away from the rest of the family.

As the voices outside faded, Amanda sat beside her son, "He should be here any minute. The nice guard that brought us down here said it would take a few minutes for them to get him. We just need to be patient."

"I'm trying to be patient, but Grandma's pacing and Philip's yap keeps running, and it's making my stomach feel all jittery inside," Jamie admitted. He looked up at her with his sad, hazel eyes, partially hidden behind his glasses. Amanda reached up to feel his forehead in case he had a fever. Feeling his cool skin, she leaned forward and gently kissed him. Her attention was quickly jolted away when the door swung open, and Lee stepped into the room.

"Amanda!" he breathed before crossing the small space and pulling her into his arms. She tried to assess the bruises on his face but was hindered when he cradled her face in his hands. He crushed his lips to hers in a long-awaited kiss. She sighed with genuine happiness at the feel of his body pressed against hers for the first time in five months. "Oh, Sweetheart!" she whimpered as soon as their lips parted. She wanted to savor the moment, but her body was jolted to the side when Philip threw his arms around the two of them, shouting out Lee's name, followed by a gentler hug from Dotty.

Lee fought the tears that filled his eyes as he stood with his family. It wasn't until he noticed Jamie was still sitting on the couch, alone. "Hey, Jamie. Come over here!" he called out. Slowly, Jamie rose to his feet to join them. Lee purposefully leaned to the side to pull him into his arms. The tears slid down Lee's cheeks, unchecked, when he heard a soft sob come from his youngest stepson. "I'm sorry, Jamie," he whispered into the boy's ear. Jamie's only response came as a tighter squeeze on Lee's arm.

"Lee, let me look at your face! Billy told me what happened!" Amanda gushed as she tried to examine the bruised skin on his cheekbone and the split on Lee's lip.

"Amanda, I'm fine, really. It's nothing," Lee tried to brush her hand off, halfheartedly. Philip and Dotty released their holds on him, taking a seat in the chairs across from the small couch.

Amanda brushed his hair off his forehead, "Sweetheart, that looks pretty bad." She rubbed his cheek lovingly, with her thumb.

Lee covered her hand with his and sighed. He still held Jamie tightly against his side as the boy silently wept against him. He leaned forward and kissed Amanda again, softer this time. He felt Jamie shift beside him and silently thanked Dotty when she called him over to sit with her and Philip. Despite everyone in the room, Lee couldn't tamp down his body's response to Amanda pressed against him as he kissed her once more. He leaned close to her ear, and with a chuckle, he whispered, "Don't move."

Amanda reached up to inspect his cheek once more as she winked at him and stated, "I know."

"Lee, this isn't one of those… trailers they use for… well," Dotty tripped over her words.

Lee laughed loud and long, "No. They don't have those here. These trailers are mostly used as additional conference spaces before going to court. It just gives the inmates a chance to relax their mindset with their lawyers before they are transported to the courthouses for their appeal hearings."

"Oh, good," she sighed. "I made you cookies," she offered.

"The oatmeal raisin ones with the walnuts?" Lee asked, his mouth immediately watering at the memory of the aforementioned cookies.

Philip nodded his head enthusiastically, "Yeah, but the guard at the metal detector took them. He said they weren't allowed."

Lee groaned, "That's right. Well, I guess I'll just have to wait a little longer to get some." The disappointment of losing out on his favorite cookies managed to deflate his libido. He took Amanda's hand, and together they moved to the small couch and sat down.

"Lee, that bruise looks bad. I hate to see what the other guy looked like," Jamie observed.

"You mean the five other guys?" Lee immediately corrected him. He watched as everyone's mouth's dropped open slightly. "It's okay. I wasn't alone. Tucker was with me, and between the two of us, we managed to fight them off."

Philip furrowed his brow for a moment then asked, "Was that the guy I saw the last time?"

Lee nodded in affirmation, "Yeah, that's him. He got hurt much worse than I did, but he's going to be okay. The warden was so impressed with how we handled things, and he's giving Tucker a reduction in his sentence."

"And what do you get, Lee?" Dotty questioned.

Lee looked around the room and stated, "I get this. Time with everyone. Together." He reached down and squeezed Amanda's hand. "Time with the people I love the most," he added, looking directly into her dark brown eyes.

"Sweetheart," Amanda breathed softly.

"What about tomorrow? Will we be able to see you again tomorrow? All of us?" Jamie asked.

Lee gave him a weak smile and stated, "Well, that depends."

"Depends on what?" Philip responded.

"If you can put up with me again tomorrow," Lee teased. "Actually, the warden gave us this space for two hours today and tomorrow in exchange for what happened."

Amanda sighed, "What exactly did happen, Lee? Billy didn't go into much detail. He just said there was a fight, and because of that fight, we would all be able to see you."

Lee turned and took both of Amanda's hands in his own as he stated, "You don't need to worry, but it wasn't just an ordinary fight. It was an ambush."

"What?" Dotty snapped. "No way!" Philip gasped simultaneously, as Amanda simply cried, "No."

"But enough about that! That doesn't matter anymore. What does matter is that we are all together so… how are things?" Lee did his best to change the subject.

Jamie leaned back in the chair and stated, "Mom hates the new guy she's working with. I think he's kinda dumb."

Lee fought hard not to laugh at Jamie's description of Fred Fielder. "Oh, really?" he chuckled.

"Yeah, she had to spend a couple of days working with him earlier this week, and she was furious when she came home," Philip added.

Beside him, Amanda shifted stiffly and folded her arms across her chest. Lee watched her expression harden as Jamie continued, "I heard Mom talking to Miss Desmond on the phone, and she said something about filing an HR57 report, whatever that means."

The muscle in Lee's cheek began to twitch wildly as Amanda started rubbing her hands up and down her arms. He knew an HR57 was a harassment report, whereas one agent feels the other agent appointed to the same assignment may have acted inappropriately toward the filing agent. "Cold, Amanda?" Dotty asked, watching her daughter's actions.

Amanda stood quickly and moved away from the small group as she insisted, "No… I'm okay."

Lee followed suit and demanded, "What happened with Fielder?"

Amanda turned to face him, but she did her best to avoid making eye contact with him. She concentrated on the stitching of the scrub shirt he was wearing. She traced the line of his pocket as she said softly, "Nothing… nothing happened with Fielder. We just did our job and got the case finished faster than we expected, that's all."

Lee lifted her chin and looked directly into her eyes. "What happened, Amanda?" he asked again in a gentler voice.

Amanda sighed, dropped her chin, and whispered only loud enough for Lee to hear, "Fred kissed me."

" **He did what?"** Lee roared.

His outburst caused Dotty to jump nervously. She looked over at the boys and suggested, "Let's go outside for some air for a minute and give Lee and your mother a chance to talk privately." The trio left the trailer seconds later, and Lee could hear Dotty explaining to the guard outside they were just getting some air.

"Sweetheart, it wasn't anything, really. Fred… was just playing his cover, that's all," Amanda insisted.

"Fred Fielder doesn't know how to play a damn cover," Lee snapped.

Amanda reached up and touched his chest once more as she did her best to calm her husband, "We were assigned as a married couple in Foxhill Run Estates and during the welcome wagon dinner… you remember those… first night in a new neighborhood, everyone brings food. A meet and greet with all the neighbors," Amanda rambled.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know what the welcome wagon dinner is, Amanda. How does that lead to Fred kissing you and you filing an HR57?!" Lee demanded.

"Well, I had gone outside to do some investigating while Fred had most of the neighbors distracted when all of a sudden, he was outside with me. We were talking about the case a little bit, and he thought he heard someone approaching, so he pulled me to him and-" she tried to explain.

"And good old Fred Fielder laid one on you. That son of a bitch. I'm gonna kill him. Just wait until I get out of here," Lee swore.

Amanda shook her head once more, "Lee, he was just doing what he thought was right, only the sound he heard wasn't a person it was just a couple of squirrels."

"Well, what did you do?" Lee demanded.

Amanda shifted slightly, lifted her chin, and stated, "I slapped him and told him never to touch me again."

The last response Amanda ever expected was for Lee to burst into a deep, throaty laugh before he pulled her into his arms. "Oh, Amanda, what am I going to do with you?"

Amanda pushed up onto her toes, linked her arms around his neck, and kissed him passionately, "I have a few ideas, but they might have to wait a little while."


	29. Chapter 29

**Chapter 28**

A few days after the visit with Lee, Amanda stood in her living room. She had brought home the large wall map from the Q bureau and affixed it to the wall. In her hand, she held several sheets of colored dots and a black marker. She had just finished marking Lee's route with a red pencil when the doorbell rang. "I'll get it!" she called out. Amanda jogged over the steps to the front door. "Hello, Francine. You are just in time," she smiled.

Francine shivered in the cold air before she stepped inside the house. "Brrrrr, why do winters have to be so cold?" she complained as she tugged off her long wool coat.

Amanda chuckled, "It's barely winter yet, Francine. It's only the beginning of December. Be thankful there's no more snow in the forecast."

Francine shivered again, "I'm still wondering why I haven't moved to Southern California where it's sunny and warm year-round."

Amanda put her arm around Francine and rubbed her arms briskly, "You know, Francine. I keep telling you. You need some thicker sweaters. These thin ones you insist on wearing don't do anything for you."

Francine batted Amanda's hands away and groaned, "Enough, enough. I get it!" She shivered once more as she followed Amanda into the family room.

"How about a nice hot cup of tea? Would you like that to warm you up? Or a bowl of soup? I can whip up a bowl of tomato soup for you in no time," Amanda offered.

"No, I don't need any soup, as tempting as that sounds, but a cup of tea would be good," Francine conceded. Amanda nodded once and headed into the kitchen as Francine sat down on the couch. "Looks like you've been busy," Francine commented as she examined the map on the wall.

"I was just about to go over all the notes we made and build an accurate timeline between the images we got off the videos both to and from the park," Amanda called back over the running water as she filled the tea kettle.

Francine lifted the list off the coffee table and scanned the page. "We found a lot more than I expected we would. But this only proves he drove to and from wherever on the same road. We still haven't found proof he didn't somehow make his way to the marina from the park. He could have taken a road we didn't see, or he could have parked his car somewhere and walked down. We didn't think of that," she suggested.

"Well, once we finish this, we'll go back over the map and see where we've missed. Then we should go over any of the footage near the marina and look for anyone on foot," Amanda declared. "How about some cookies? Would you like some chocolate chip cookies? I made them fresh this morning."

"Mmmm, Amanda Stetson's famous chocolate chip cookies… how can I refuse?" Francine smiled. Several minutes later, Amanda carried over a plate with several cookies and a steaming cup of tea. She placed everything on the table in front of Francine.

"I thought if we put a time on one color dot on the right side, we could mark all the locations Lee drove past going to the park. Then, on the left side, we could do the same for his ride back from the park. We can mark on the paper what color the corresponding dot is," Amanda suggested.

Francine lifted the list once more and announced, "I'll read them off. You mark them."

Later that day, the two agents arrived at the Agency. Francine headed straight for Billy's office, whereas Amanda took the stairs up to the Q Bureau, where she found Fielder waiting for her. "Amanda, what did you think of that case, huh? We solved that in record time!" Fred boasted as he closed the file he had open. He was leaning against her desk, preventing Amanda from walking around to put her purse down. She shrugged off her coat and shook her head.

"Well, when you can just focus on the case and not get distracted, you can get a lot done in no time. Excuse me," she stated. Fred stood up, but his actions did little to move him out of her way. Finally, Amanda attempted to sidestep him; only she tripped slightly on the foot of her desk. Fred reached out and caught her before she fell. "Thank you," she muttered uncomfortably before she pulled open her bottom desk drawer and dropped her purse in.

"Amanda, haven't you figured out by now… I'm not going to let you fall. Don't you worry. Besides, I kind of like catching you in my arms," Fred admitted with a half-grin.

Amanda fumed as she lifted her left hand high, "Fred, Lee and I are still married, remember? I still love him, and he's not going to be in that prison much longer, so I would suggest you stop paying attention to me and start paying attention to your job."

Fred laughed loudly as he replied, "Amanda, I don't know why you keep insisting he's going to be miraculously set free. It doesn't work like that. You should just move on with your life. You're a beautiful woman, and you deserve so much more than a loser who couldn't keep his temper under control."

Amanda stood and purposefully stepped over his still outstretched legs, only this time, she stopped just feet from him. "You're right. I do deserve better. Better than you!" she snapped before she left the Q Bureau with a bang of the door.

Downstairs in Billy's office, Francine had just finished updating Billy on the map situation she and Amanda had worked on. "Tell me, Francine, how is she really doing with Fielder? I know it's not easy working with the man, but has she said anything to you?" Billy asked.

"Well, I think I convinced her not to file the HR57 she wanted to, but she's not happy about it. I mean, the man might be a bumbling joke, and he's definitely no Casanova. I told her he probably just thought he could slip in a little smooch, and it was no big deal," Francine suggested.

Billy sighed, "True, but that better be the end of it. I think I need to find a way to keep them apart and still working in the Q. Any ideas?"

Before Francine could answer, they were interrupted by a knock on the door, and Beaman stepped inside without waiting for a response. "Mr. Melrose, I need your signature on this release form," he droned. He handed Billy the file he was holding and added, "You two look very serious. Let me guess. You're having a hard time discovering where Jimmy Hoffa is buried?"

"Why don't you give it a break, Beaman?" Francine groaned.

"I would, but my fans love me, what can I say?" Beaman teased back. "Actually, I was just heading up to the Q Bureau to the vault. Seems there are a few misfiled case reports I need to go hunting for."

"From whom?" Billy questioned. In the bullpen, movement caught his eye as Amanda briskly walked toward his office door.

Beaman shrugged his shoulders, "You know, this one and that one… Fielder. But I'm sure I can find it easily enough." He moved to the door and added, "I could always use help." He pulled the door open just as Amanda raised her hand to knock. "Speak of the devil," Beaman smiled.

"Sir," Amanda directed her attention to Billy.

"Ask Fielder to help you find what he lost… misfiled… whatever! Just tell him to do it," Billy commanded.

"How is Fielder, Amanda?" Beaman shoved one hand in his pocket and leaned against the open doorframe. "I heard your undercover case almost went under the covers," he insinuated.

Amanda spun around and faced Beaman, fuming. "I don't know what you heard, but nothing and I mean, nothing of the sort happened. We did our jobs, and that's it!" she snapped.

"And fast, too. Didn't get enough time to get into your roles as husband and wife," Beaman continued.

"Get out of my office, Beaman!" Billy roared as he stood. "I am not going to listen to any more of this! We are not children anymore, and this isn't the sandbox!"

Beaman righted himself and shook his head, "Billy, you almost sounded like the dearly departed Dr. Smyth just now. Channeling his ghost, are you?"

"OUT!" Billy boomed louder. Beaman stepped backward, allowing the door to swing closed before he disappeared into the hall. "Amanda, I'm sorry about that. About everything. If there was any way I could get Fielder out of the Q Bureau without Ebert shutting it down, I would," he apologized as he lowered himself back into this oversized chair.

"I know, sir. I thought the very same thing. I don't want to leave the Q Bureau, but I'll be honest, I'm finding it harder and harder to work with Fred," Amanda sighed.

Francine blinked several times before she suggested, "What if… Billy, what if they each continued working in the Q but on different schedules?"

Billy pressed his lips together in a tight line and pondered the idea, "We might be able to get that to work… but what would they be doing?"

"Mr. Ebert might think we're not really working together, and he still might shut the Q Bureau down," Amanda reminded them.

A slow smile spread across Francine's face, "What if you were cleaning up all the files in the Q Bureau? You'd have to cross-reference each file to other areas of the building. He can't complain about that. After all, things do slow down a bit now that it's the holiday season, and Billy can just say he was making good use of the downtime."

"Sir? Do you think that would work? I mean, I do have an awful lot to do at home, also, so if I can work my schedule around Fred's, I'll do anything to not be in the actual office with him," Amanda pleaded.

"I think that is an excellent suggestion, Francine. I'll give Fielder the good news myself. Now, let's talk about the map you've created," Billy smiled.


	30. Chapter 30

**Chapter 29**

Ambrose Schortmann stood in Amanda's family room and followed the track of dots with this finger, noting the times written on each dot. "Mrs. Stetson, this is excellent work," he stated.

"My mom is really good at things like that. She helped my brother with a map of Czechoslovakia once. Because of her, he got an A on his project," Jamie boasted. He stood beside Ambrose, sporting a smile.

Amanda handed Ambrose a cup of coffee and stated, "Thank you. Francine and I went through all the videos and I thought if we could see it on the map, it might help support the idea that Lee really is innocent. We also got that clear picture of him from the bank on his way back."

"You've accounted for most of his time, just as he claimed," Ambrose pointed out.

"But, there is still the hours that he waited at the park for the informant that never showed," Francine groaned. She lowered herself onto the arm of the couch beside where Billy sat.

Billy placed his coffee on the table and asked, "What do we know about that? I mean, it was mentioned at the trial, but nothing more came out of it. No one has come forward, offering more information."

"Well, Lee got a message relayed to him requesting a meet in the park. The message just stated he was to come alone. That was it," Amanda sighed.

"And we were able to verify that message?" Billy questioned.

Francine nodded, "Yes, dispatch verified a message for Lee at eight oh three, picked up at eight-ten."

Harry grunted from the other end of the couch, "What about Smyth? Did anyone figure out why he was at the docks in the first place?"

"Actually, yes. One of the newer night agents took his message the night before. That message stated the caller had evidence that Scarecrow was a double agent, and they had proof," Billy informed him.

"What kind of proof?" Harry demanded.

Billy pressed his lips together and shook his head, "We have no idea. Nothing was found on the docks. But the call did originate from inside the Agency. We do know that much."

"We've already figured out this has to be an inside job. Which line did it come from?" Harry grunted again.

"That's just it. It was a free desk in the bullpen. Anyone could have used it," Francine interjected. "We already looked into that."

Ambrose sat down in the high back chair and lifted his notepad and pen. "Let's have a review of the evidence we do have. Then, if need be, we go back and try to fill in any blanks."

"My mom made the map!" Jamie interjected.

Ambrose smiled at the boy, "Yes, she did. So, we have a precise timeline map of Mr. Stetson's route both to and from the park."

"And we were able to eliminate Lee's car anywhere near the marina, although Francine and I are going to start going over the videos again to look for him on foot, just in case," Amanda stated.

"Just in case, what?" Dotty asked from her perch in the kitchen. She had been listening to everyone talking, holding her tongue.

Francine looked at Dotty and explained, "Just in case Lee parked his car somewhere we didn't see and he walked down to the marina."

"But I thought you already figured out he didn't shoot that man," Dotty questioned.

"Yes, using the shooting range test and the image we were able to pull from the surveillance cameras at the marina, we were able to state it is highly unlikely Lee shot Dr. Smyth. The shooter was determined to be right-handed and based on the results of both his right-hand test and the qualifying test he did back in May, Lee could not have been the shooter," Billy stated.

Ambrose wrote down more notes and added, "Excellent. So the shooter is definitely right-hand strong. Anything else?"

Dotty stood and joined the group in the family room, "I already said that person was only a five. I would say he is much taller and thinner than Lee." Amanda closed her eyes and shook her head slightly in disbelief. "What? Lee's an eleven! His shoulders are broader, and he walks differently than that man did," Dotty expressed with a flip of her hand.

Ambrose looked down at his notepad and stated, "She might have something with that. Can we get an image to compare Mr. Stetson's body type with the shooter? Maybe something taken at approximately the same angle?"

Amanda raised her shoulders and looked at Francine, who then, in turn, looked at Billy. "I'm not sure we'd-" he began.

"I might!" Jamie stated loudly. All eyes turned to him as he explained. "I was taking pictures of Lee and Philip last summer on the football field. I was sitting on the top row of the bleachers in the shade while they threw the ball around during that clinic the school was having."

"That's right," Philip remembered. "Coach V asked everyone to bring a buddy that day, so I asked Lee since Dad was away. Boy, Lee could really throw that thing."

Amanda turned to her son, "Sweetheart, do you know where those pictures are?"

"Sure do! The film is still in my camera bag. We never got it developed because everything happened right after that. I sort of forgot about it," Jamie bounced on his heels.

"Go get it, Wormbrain!" Philip shouted. Jamie took off running. They heard his footsteps thunder up the stairs, echo softly before the pitter-patter of his feet jogging back down.

"Here!" Jamie announced proudly as he held the small black and grey canister between his fingers.

Ambrose took the plastic container and tucked it into his pocket, "I'll have my friend develop these as soon as possible. Now, what else do we have?"

Francine pulled out the images of the fingerprints she and Amanda had found. "We have prints on the magazine clip of the gun and on two of the bullets in the clip," she stated.

Dotty jumped off her stool, excitedly, "Who do those belong to? You must have some idea?"

"Not yet, Mother. We don't have any suspects, so we don't have anything to compare it to," Amanda shook her head.

"Why can't you use those fancy computers you have at work?" Dotty demanded.

"Because that damn fool Ebert doesn't allow anyone to do anything that isn't work-related, that's why!" Harry snapped. "Hey, just because I'm not the head of the Agency anymore, doesn't mean I still don't know what's going on."

Ambrose looked down at his notes and summarized, "We have a timeline with video based on the route Mr. Stetson said he took to and from the park. We have the weapon a right-handed shooter used to kill Dr. Smyth with two bullets. On that weapon, we have several fingerprints that we have determined do not belong to Mr. Stetson, but we have no idea who they do belong to. We have several controlled tests to show Mr. Stetson could not have possibly made the two tight shots based on his accuracy with his right hand." He skimmed the list again and added, "And if the pictures Jamie took work, we can compare Mr. Stetson's build to the shooter. Anything else?"

"What about the second person in the video?" Amanda asked. "I still feel there's something about them… I know who it is, but it's not coming to me."

Ambrose dropped the notepad in his lap and steepled his fingers, "So, you still think that's someone you know?"

Francine nodded, "I have to agree with Amanda. I know I've seen those mannerisms before but I can't place my finger on who it might be."

"Well, when you do finally figure it out, maybe you can compare fingerprints?" Ambrose suggested.

Harry stood up and paced several times before he asked, "Who had access to Lee's gun in the Q Bureau? Have you narrowed that down?"

Billy sighed, "No. I was hoping we'd be able to figure that out based on who might have keys, but it turns out quite a few agents have keys to the Q."

"Sir, I just want to point out that the lock could easily have been picked too. I mean, we all have to know how to do that…" Amanda's voice trailed off when Dotty's eyebrow raised. "Well, it could have been anyone," she added.

"True, Amanda. Very true. But whoever it was, also knew the combination to the vault, unless, of course, Lee left it wide open," Billy stated.

Amanda shook her head and insisted, "Oh no, sir, Lee never would have done that."

"Right. That does narrow down the list a little bit," Billy informed Ambrose.

"Would it help to provide Mrs. Stetson and Miss Desmond with that list? Maybe that would help them narrow down their suspects?" Ambrose suggested.

Amanda and Francine looked at each other and nodded enthusiastically, "Yes, sir!"


	31. Chapter 31

**Chapter 30**

Lee struggled against Tony's arm-bar as Tony steered him in the direction of the hallway once more. "Give it a rest, Stetson," Tony sneered loudly as he guided him through the doors and around the corner from the chow hall under the scrutiny of Brewer. Once they were a safe distance away, Tony let go of Lee, and the two men walked side by side.

Lee massaged his shoulder and complained, "Did you have to be so rough?"

"When did you get so soft? Besides, did you want Brewer to know I was coming to get you to bring you to the warden's office where your boss is waiting for you with more information about him?" Tony chided.

Lee shrugged his shoulders and continued to massage his sore one as he replied, "Nah, I guess your way was better."

Several minutes later, the two men entered Warden Ryan's office. Billy and Ambrose were sitting across from the warden, and in Billy's hands was a green file folder. "So, what did you find out?" Lee immediately asked.

"Mr. Stetson, I see you're in better shape today than the last time I saw you," Warden Ryan nodded.

Lee ran his hand through his hair and smiled, "Yeah, thanks for the family visit last weekend. It was nice seeing everyone together like that. I think it was good for all of us."

Warden Ryan blinked knowingly before he turned his attention to Billy. "So, Mr. Melrose, what else did you manage to dig up on Brewer over the last week?"

Billy flipped the folder open and stated, "Quite a lot actually. Thanks to a little extra digging by our guys down in New Orleans, we were able to dig up the name of Brewer's loan shark. Turns out, he freelances as a gun for hire on the side."

"A loan shark with a freelance gig. What is this world coming to?" Lee groaned.

"Says the man in prison for a murder he clearly didn't commit," Ambrose presented with a tilt of his head.

Lee focused his attention on Ambrose. "Wait… did you find something else? Something that can clear me?" he begged.

"If only it were that simple. We are deeper into the appeal process than I expected, and the extraordinary work of Mrs. Stetson and Miss Desmond has brought us closer. However, we are still short of that mysterious finish-line," Ambrose admitted. Lee visibly slumped at his honesty. "But, I can tell you we have more definitive proof of your innocence."

Warden Ryan held up a computer printout and added, "Maybe this will help even more. I received the phone records I had requested the last time you were here, and we have found a series of calls to a DC number made during Brewer's shifts."

Billy pursed his lips tightly and nodded, "That correlates with our intel on Brewer's shark. His name is Jackson Boudreaux, and he's been spotted several times recently around DC." He tugged a black and white photograph out of the folder and held it up. "This is Boudreaux."

Lee studied the image for a long minute before he furrowed his brow and asked, "But what does all of this have to do with me?"

"I don't know," Billy admitted. "But I'm sure as hell going to find out."

"Mr. Stetson, I think with your help, we could get Brewer to give up this Boudreaux in exchange for a lighter sentence," Warden Ryan suggested.

Tony, having remained silent for most of the conversation, piped up, "Wait… you're gonna give Brewer a break? For what he did? He almost got those guys killed… hell, he TRIED to get them killed." He punctuated his last statement with a nod and a jerk of his thumb towards Lee.

Warden Ryan leaned back in his leather chair and agreed, "I know, but if I am following everything that is happening correctly, Brewer is only a pawn in this game. This Boudreaux sounds like he's the knight everyone is playing for."

"I think the real question is who is the knight protecting… the queen or the king?" Ambrose interjected.

Lee folded his arms and pondered the latest information. "Okay, so what you're suggesting is this Boudreaux was using Brewer to knock me off, but you think there might be someone else, controlling Boudreaux? A puppet master, so to speak?" he summarized.

"That's exactly what I think. And Amanda AND Francine. They both saw a second person in that video. Why else would there be TWO perpetrators with only one shooter?" Billy stated emphatically.

Tony looked around the room once more and sighed, "Who would have something to gain with Lee in here?"

Billy pressed his lips together in a tight line before he admitted, "It could be any number of people. Most likely, someone with a huge grudge against Lee. We have narrowed down the list to a few agents, but even then, we could be dead wrong."

Lee looked at Warden Ryan, squared his shoulders, and asked, "What do you need me to do to get Brewer to give up Boudreaux?"

Warden Ryan lifted the phone beside his desk and dialed an extension. "Get Brewer in my office, pronto." He hung up the phone and focused his attention back to Lee, "You tell him you won't press charges if he gives you the name of the man that hired him. He's going to lose his job regardless, and a crooked CO doesn't do well in any prison, I can assure you. He'll be charged with a lesser misdemeanor and probably be on probation for a few years. He'll never work for any type of law enforcement again."

Five minutes later, the men could hear whistling in the hallway. Brewer strolled into Warden Ryan's office with a cheerful, "Yeah, Cap said you wanted to see me?" He stopped in his tracks when he saw Tony and Lee standing beside the desk, Billy and Ambrose still sitting. "What's going on?" Brewer asked slowly.

"You have exactly one minute to give up the man who hired you to set up Stetson and Tucker," Warden Ryan declared.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Brewer stuttered.

"Forty-five seconds before I call the state police and have you arrested on conspiracy charges," Warden Ryan called out.

"But I… damn!" Brewer snapped. He turned on his heel and took off, running down the hallway. Lee and Tony immediately took up the chase. Tony sprinted past Lee but slipped when Brewer changed directions. Lee managed to tackle him just before he got to the elevators.

Tony slapped a pair of handcuffs on Brewer and jerked him to his feet. "Now, let's head back to the warden's office, and you are going to spill your guts!" Tony snapped angrily. He turned to Lee and acknowledged, "Nice tackle. We could use a guy like you on CERT. Ever think of switching careers?"

Lee gave Brewer a shove and laughed, "Nah, too dangerous. My wife wouldn't like that very much."

The two men escorted Brewer back to Warden Ryan's office, and when they arrived, he was just hanging up the phone. "Now, the State Police are on their way to collect you, dirtbag, so tell these men who paid you, and I'll be sure they go easy on you."

"No! I'm a dead man if I do that," Brewer spat. He turned away and stared at the wall.

"Well, you're gonna be a dead man if you get sent to prison, isn't that right?" Lee sneered. "Or maybe we should find out right now, what happens to a guard like you, huh? Maybe we should bring you down to the chow hall and announce what you've done to everyone down there. Then maybe we should leave you there, just to see what would happen?"

"You wouldn't dare," Brewer snapped his head back to stare at Lee.

The muscle in Lee's cheek danced wildly as his face grew redder with anger. "You wanna try me? I've done worse to lowlifes like you before, and I have nothing to lose now," Lee countered, fire dancing in his eyes.

Brewer inhaled sharply in fear. He tried to break eye contact, but everyone he looked at simply stared back with the same anger. "Boudreaux… Jackson Boudreaux. He told me if I set up Stetson, he would forgive all my debts," he finally breathed.

"How much is a man's life worth these days?" Ambrose questioned.

"One hundred thousand dollars," Brewer admitted before he slumped in his seat, knowing he was utterly defeated.


	32. Chapter 32

**Chapter 31**

Amanda and Francine sat in Billy's office while Harry paced back and forth near the door. "You sure you got the bastard that organized that ambush?" he demanded.

"Yes, Harry, for the third time. The officer that set up Lee is now in custody at the state police barracks awaiting a hearing," Billy assured him again.

"And he gave you the name of the man we think is involved with Dr. Smyth's shooting?" Amanda asked with wide eyes.

Billy nodded, "He did. Here's his picture. Jackson Boudreaux, a loan shark turned gun for hire, in New Orleans. Now, Brewer couldn't give us any more information other than the number of the hotel Boudreaux's been staying. We've checked, and it appears he's already left, so either he's moved on or he's onto us." Billy handed Francine and Amanda the small booking photograph he obtained from the New Orleans office. "He's been in and out of the system a few times, but he's never served more than a few months. That tells us he's crafty. And he has some help on the inside down there."

"What do you need us to do? Scour the other hotels in the area? Flash his picture around?" Francine suggested.

"No, I have another job for you two. Go back over the video footage from the marina. See if you can find a clear shot of the shooter's face. Now that we know we're not looking for Lee, see if you find _this_ joker," Billy stated.

Amanda stared at the face on the photograph in her hand. "Sir, I don't understand. Why would he try to hurt Lee?" she asked quietly.

"Why do any of these people do what they do, Amanda? Most of the time, it's about money or power," Billy reminded her. "But why he is doing what he's doing specifically, I can't say for sure."

Amanda stood, her eyes still glued to the photograph. "Come on, Francine. Let's see if we can find him and put an end to all of this, so we can get Lee home where he belongs. The box of videos is in the Q Bureau under my desk."

"Hasn't Fred figured that out yet?" Francine asked as she followed Amanda into the bullpen.

"No, he thinks they're home movies I was bringing to that shop down the street to have spliced together," Amanda laughed halfheartedly.

Francine glanced down the hallway and stated, "Tell you what. You get that box, and I'm going to make sure that the viewing room is open. The last thing we need right now is another delay because the room's in use."

Amanda nodded, "I'll meet you back down here in ten."

True to her word, Amanda knocked on the door of the small video viewing room ten minutes later, carrying the box of tapes from the marina. She and Francine began the painstaking process of reviewing each film for any signs of Jackson Boudreaux. After nearly two hours, Amanda groaned as she switched tapes once again. "My eyes are beginning to go cross-eyed here, watching these."

Francine gave her a weak smile as she admitted, "Mine, too. But we're not going to find anything if we quit now." She pressed play, and they began to watch another angle of the entrance to the marina.

"Look at that. Does that car look familiar to you?" Amanda paused the video as one car appeared on the screen.

Francine squinted her eyes and nodded, "Yeah. It looks like one of the cars down in the motor pool. It even has that big dent on the front quarter panel like the car Leatherneck was showing off with, in the parking lot when he clipped the stop sign, and it fell on the car."

"Francine, look, there's a dent on the hood, too. What do you think the odds are that there would be an identical car with two identical dents in the same place?" Amanda raised her eyebrows.

"Slim to none. But I don't know if that's going to help us at all. The motor pool has been a little lax lately on keeping track of who's driving what," Francine groaned.

Amanda sighed, "Shoot." She hit play on the remote, and slowly, the car began to turn, giving a clear image of the passenger.

"Stop it right there!" Francine commanded. She held up the small photograph Billy had handed them and stated, "Well, well, well. It looks like we have a winner. That looks like Boudreaux to me. What do you think, Amanda?"

Amanda pressed the print option for the screen and tried to compare the images. "I can't say for sure it's the same man from this angle. Let's keep watching and see if we get a better view." She hit play again, and the images slowly forwarded, one by one. They watched as the car stopped under a tree in the parking lot, and the passenger climbed out before the driver. They watched and waited, but they were unable to get a clearer image, nor see the driver in the vehicle. Amanda sighed loudly as she ejected the tape. "Only two more left to try. The one from the boathouse and the other one is from the building next door."

"Let's try the building next door. The camera is angled to film across the parking lot," Francine suggested.

Amanda inserted the suggested video and hit fast forward until they saw the car pulling into the small lot. She slowed the video down once more, and together they followed the vehicle to the parking spot where it came to rest. They watched again, as the passenger climbed out in the dim light. It wasn't until he took several steps forward and stopped under the parking lot lights that Amanda got excited. She paused the image and nodded enthusiastically. "That's him! You were right!" she cheered. She printed the image and nodded again. "We got him… oh boy, do we got him. That's the shooter, all right!"

"Great, we have the shooter, but who's the driver?" Francine pointed out.

They studied the images, and Amanda shivered as one brief image flickered across the screen. She paused the video and, wide-eyed, Amanda asked, "Did you see what that driver was wearing? I mean, we can't see his face very clearly, but I'm sure that's -" Before she could continue, they heard a knock at the door. Scrambling, Amanda quickly switched tapes to one of the previously viewed ones before the door swung open, and Fred Fielder stuck his head inside.

"Amanda. Billy told me I could find you here. Your mother called looking for you. I wasn't sure if it was important or not, so I figured I'd come find you and deliver the message as soon as I could," Fred waved a yellow slip of paper in his hand.

Amanda furrowed her brow and asked nervously, "Mother called? Did she leave a message?"

Fred stepped further into the room and shrugged his shoulders as he handed her the paper, "She just said something about a gift and call her as soon as you could." He glanced around the room and lifted his chin toward the wall of screens, "Billy got you on crap duty, too, huh?"

Francine rolled her eyes in a grand gesture as she shook her head, "It's the holidays… we all get crap duty, as you so succinctly put it."

Amanda looked down at the note in her shaking hand and stated, "I'm going to see if Billy will let me use the phone in his office to check in with Mother, just to be sure everything is all set."

"Well, since you're leaving, I might as well get a snack from the vending machine. We could be here a while," Francine forced a smile and stood to follow Amanda into the hall. As the trio left the viewing room, they could hear voices approaching them.

Amanda looked up to see Mr. Ebert and Beaman heading in their direction. "Well, if that smile doesn't scream the cat that ate the canary, I don't know what does," Francine commented on the expression on Beaman's face.

"Miss Desmond, Mrs. Stetson, Mr. Fielder. I'm glad you're all here," Mr. Ebert squeaked. "Let me be the first to inform you of Mr. Beaman's promotion."

Amanda stared at the diminutive man and repeated, "Promotion?"

"Why, yes. Ephraim is now my second in command. You will report to him when I am not available," Mr. Ebert informed the group.

"That's right, everyone… I'm your new boss… well, after Mr. Melrose, that is. So that means, you report everything you're working on to me as well," Beaman boasted as adjusted his glasses before he tucked his hand back into his pocket and rocked on his heels.

Amanda glanced at Francine before she swallowed, "Well, congratulations, Ephraim. I'm very happy for you. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to call my mother."

Francine raised an eyebrow in Amanda's direction as she hurried off toward Billy's office, leaving everyone standing around awkwardly while Beaman continued to gloat over his promotion.


	33. Chapter 33

**Chapter 32**

Amanda slipped through the partially opened door to Billy's office as she whispered loudly, "Sir, I think I know who it is."

Billy looked up, confused, "Boudreaux? We've already determined he must be the shooter."

"No, not Boudreaux, even though we did find him in the video. Francine got a really nice shot of him when he got out of the car. And the car… you remember last summer, when Leatherneck crashed that blue car into the stop sign when he was showing off the bootleg to those MI5 agents that came over to visit?" Amanda rambled.

"Yes, Amanda, I remember the incident in the motor pool parking lot," Billy nodded, knowing full well. Amanda was going to continue to get to her point.

Amanda nodded back, "Well, the car Boudreaux was riding in was the same car. Or at least we think it's the same car because what are the odds that two cars would have the same kind of damage." She paused to take a breath before she continued, "So, Francine and I were watching, and after Boudreaux got out of the car, I saw the driver… well… something the driver was wearing…After I saw that, it all just clicked."

Billy lifted his eyebrows and leaned forward slightly as he asked, "And?"

In the bullpen, Francine managed to nudge her way toward Billy's door while Beaman, Mr. Ebert, and Fred Fielder continued to celebrate Beaman's promotion. She was only inches away from reaching the knob when she heard Amanda speaking before Billy's voice boom out the word, "WHO?" Wide-eyed, she pointed at the door and suggested, "I should probably find out what's happening right now."

"That sounds important. Maybe we should all find out what's happening," Mr. Ebert stated as he pushed past her and shoved the door open. "Mr. Melrose, is everything all right in here?" he questioned.

Billy held his breath as Beaman and Fielder pushed into the office, behind Mr. Ebert. "Sir, I just came to tell you we made progress on that video you asked us to check out," Francine stated quickly.

"So I heard," Billy replied. He turned his head to face Amanda, "And you're sure?"

"Not one hundred percent sure, but I'm pretty sure. Tell you what, why don't Francine and I go back and make sure, and when we are sure, we'll confirm," Amanda rushed out. She gently pushed her way through the group of men, now standing in her way with a cheerful, "Excuse me." She grabbed Francine's hand and pulled her back into the hallway.

"Mr. Melrose, what are Mrs. Stetson and Miss Desmond focused on today?" Mr. Ebert questioned.

Billy lowered himself onto his chair and shook his head, "Just some security tapes I asked them to review. It seems we have a few more enemies out there we didn't realize. Now, is there a reason everyone is in my office? I have work to do."

Beaman grinned as he propped his hand on his hip and stated, "I got a promotion. Starting today, I am Mr. Ebert's right-hand man."

Billy lifted his head in shock before he replied, "Congratulations. I know promotions have been frozen here for a while so good for you, Beaman."

Mr. Ebert looked at Fred and stated, "I guess your move to the Q Bureau could be considered a promotion, too."

Fred looked at Billy, "Does this mean I can finally move my plants into the Q Bureau? I've been working up there for nearly a month, and I haven't done that yet. I mean, Scarecrow's stuff is still all over the place…"

Billy bit back his biting retort. Instead, he simply stated, "Talk to Amanda. Maybe she'll pack some of Lee's stuff up and take it home."

"That's a good idea. Hey, did she make that call to her mother?" Fred asked.

Billy looked at him, confused, "No, she was just telling me about their findings on the surveillance tapes I asked them to review."

Mr. Ebert looked at each man, "Personal calls on work time? I don't believe that's an efficient use of the Agency's resources. I must speak with her immediately."

Billy rose from his seat as he declared, "That will not be necessary. Mrs. Stetson has two children at home, and if her mother calls because she feels it's important, then so be it. I've just about had enough of you dictating what our agents can and cannot do."

Mr. Ebert took a step closer to Billy. "Are you suggesting my methods are not productive?" he challenged.

Billy tugged on the front of his vest before he stated, "You forget those agents out there are still people. They have families. Sometimes a phone call is needed. Time off for family is needed. And sometimes, even using Agency resources may be necessary. You've treated this place like a factory of robots, not a building full of living, breathing people with lives. What you've done is put a clamp down on an artery that pumps life into this place, effectively cutting off the pulse."

"I wouldn't call Mr. Ebert's methods unorthodox," Beaman interjected. "He's managed to cut spending by ten percent in the last month."

"But at what cost, Beaman? Everyone is miserable," Billy snapped.

Fred shifted from one foot to the other nervously before he suggested, "Maybe I should go find Amanda and check to see if she's okay." Without waiting for an answer, he slipped into the bullpen, closing the door behind him.

"Mr. Melrose, I suggest you go over the figures for the last quarter and compare them to previous calculations," Mr. Ebert stated. "Mr. Beaman, get Mr. Melrose those numbers this afternoon. I have a few other stops to make before I go today."

"Yes, Mr. Ebert. I'll compile those right now," Beaman nodded and left the office, leaving Billy and Mr. Ebert in a standoff.

Billy squared his shoulders and glanced down at the pile of work on his desk. He leveled his eyes at Mr. Ebert and stated, "Now, you're so concerned with productivity, you will understand I have a lot of work of my own to do. There's the door. Don't let it hit you on the way out." He sat down and began to read the report before him.

Mr. Ebert exhaled loudly before he nodded, "I'll be sure to document this encounter in my weekly report to the President."

"You do that," Billy muttered as he continued to stare at the report. Mr. Ebert scurried out of Billy's office, heading toward the elevators.

Billy leaned back in his chair and steepled his fingers, contemplating the information Amanda had given him. Several minutes later, Francine opened his door. "Amanda just filled me in. If we can get the personnel files, we can compare the fingerprints."

"Not yet. Francine, go see Lee. Tell him everything. He needs to know the truth of what we now know," Billy stated.

Francine glanced at her watch, "Sir, it's almost noon. By the time I get there, it'll be after six. Besides, I thought visitations were only allowed during the weekends?"

Billy reached for the phone and dialed Warden Ryan's direct number. "Warden Ryan, this is William Melrose. I need to send one of our agents to talk to Stetson. We've just made a major break in his case, but we need to know what he might know. Good. Thank you. Her name is Francine Desmond. She's leaving now." He dropped the receiver onto the cradle on his desk and stated, "They'll be expecting you."

"So, I gathered. Billy, when we make this bust, Amanda needs to be involved. She needs to understand all of this," Francine implored.

Billy pressed his lips together and nodded sharply, "I wouldn't expect anything less. Now, go."

Six hours later, Francine was sitting across from Lee in a small conference room. She glanced around the poorly lit room and commented, "So, do you come here often?"

Lee chuckled, "Only when I get surprise visits from priests and agents."

Francine reached out and took his hand. She squeezed it as she admitted, "Lee, you need to know I never believed anything. Not even when all evidence pointed to you."

Lee squeezed back and nodded, "I know, Francine. Amanda's been telling me how hard you've been working on your own time to figure this out. I appreciate everything you've done. Believe me. Someday, I'll be able to repay you."

"No, you don't repay your friends for doing what's right," Francine insisted.

"Thanks. So, what did you find out? Warden Ryan said something about a break in my case," Lee asked.

Francine gave him a weak smile and stated, "Amanda figured it out. She put all the pieces together, and even though we still have to confirm the fingerprints, it looks solid."

Lee shook his head, "Wait… Amanda figured it out? Figure what out?"

"The mannerisms, the video… she saw him… or enough of him that everything clicked. And I'm sure with a little more digging into Boudreaux's phone records from the hotel, we'll be able to nail him," Francine stated.

"Who? Who are we talking about here?" Lee demanded. Francine leaned close and whispered. Lee immediately jumped up, knocking his chair to the floor, shouting, "That sniveling son of a bitch!"


	34. Chapter 34

**Chapter 33**

Lee stormed back to the Protective Custody Unit and immediately headed into the corner where Tucker was using the hand weights. Lee dropped onto the weight bench and tried to direct all his anger into the heavy bar above his head. He hoisted the weights and started pumping the bar furiously. After several repetitions, Tucker dropped his hand weight and grabbed the bar, forcing it onto the brackets. "You keep that up, you're gonna hurt yourself," he reminded Lee.

Lee sat up abruptly and ran his hand through his hair, "My wife… she figured it out… she figured it all out…" he stuttered angrily. "Oh… and when I get my hands on that son of a bitch, he's going to regret the day he ever-"

"Hey… words like that can get you into trouble there, Stetson," Tucker reminded him as he lifted his eyes in the direction of the guards. "Now, what's going on?"

"He works with her. The bastard that set me up… set this whole thing up… works with my wife!" Lee snapped. The muscle in his cheek danced, and the tendons in his neck throbbed angrily, as well, as he clenched his jaw.

Tucker narrowed his eyes, "I thought you figured that part out already… that the guy worked with you."

"Yeah, well, I didn't expect this. I never gave the guy this much credit, but oh, boy, let me tell you… he messed with the wrong man this time. And you know what, my wife knew all along. She kept saying there was something about this one particular video that kept eating at her. The guy's mannerisms… I mean, most people wouldn't even pick up on stuff like that, but not my wife. She knew," Lee stood and began pacing.

Tucker stood and put his hand out to stop Lee's movement, "What does that mean for you?"

Lee slumped down onto the weight bench and sighed, "Now, I wait. I wait for them to confirm the evidence, find the actual shooter, and then they nail that jackal."

Tucker sat beside him and leaned his elbows on his knees, "Maybe it won't take as long as you think. I got news today… from the Parole Board. I'm getting out of here… soon."

Lee couldn't stop the grin that creased his face, "Hey, man, that's great news! When?"

"Just before Christmas, it looks like. They said they just have to put my parole conditions in place, and then I'm a free man," Tucker stated.

"I'm happy for you. I really am! And listen, when I get out of here, I'm taking you out for a drink. And steaks. There's this great restaurant in DC," Lee informed him.

Tucker lifted his head and looked at Lee, "I have to admit, I'm scared, you know. It's been so long since I've been out there… I don't know what's going to happen."

Lee tapped a fist lightly against Tucker's leg, "You're going to be okay. If I can help… when I'm home… I will. You've helped me in here… I can help you out there."

"No promises. I don't like promises. Too easy to get broken," Tucker tapped Lee's fist with his own.

Lee tapped his fist once more, "Okay, then, you have my word." The buzzer sounded, alerting everyone rec time was over. Lee looked over at Tucker and added once more, "You can trust me, Tuck." The two men stood and fell into line to be counted before they returned to their cells.

The next morning, Billy met Amanda and Francine in the Q Bureau with several personnel files. "You won't have much time to confirm this. I've already seen Fielder at his desk packing up his plants," he stated as he handed Amanda the files.

She scrambled to sit down, and from her top drawer, she pulled out the two fingerprint cards and the magnifying loupe. She opened the first file folder and began to compare the two prints. "Well, it's definitely not Lee's," she stated. "Francine, do you want to confirm?"

"No, I'm good with that conclusion. Keep going, Amanda," Francine shook her head.

Amanda opened the second file and, again, began the process of comparing the prints. "Not this one either. That leaves us our real suspect." She lifted her chin and handed Billy the two files. She opened the last one, and after four painful minutes of silence, she sat back and nodded.

Billy pressed his lips tightly together, "Why would he do this?"

"I don't know, sir. I don't understand, myself," Amanda admitted.

"Well, I don't want to jump the gun on this. Let's pull all the phone records from Boudreaux's hotel room and cross-reference the numbers. Maybe we'll get lucky," Billy instructed.

"Yes, sir. Any luck on locating Boudreaux?" Amanda asked.

Francine shook her head, "Not yet. I've got two teams looking for him now. He hasn't gotten on any flights in the last twenty-four hours that we know of. I wonder why he's hung around this long."

Amanda narrowed her eyes and thought, "Sir, can we check bank account records, too? I mean, someone like Boudreaux might only hang around because he's still waiting to get paid."

"True. Good thinking, Amanda. You and Francine get on that right away. I'll get those phone records," Billy stated. He opened the door and heard keys jingling in the hallway. He looked up to find Fielder heading in his direction. "Good morning, Fielder. You look like you have your hands full."

In the Q Bureau, Amanda shoved the file folder at Francine and quickly dropped the fingerprint cards and the loupe back into her drawer. As soon as she saw Fred's shadow, she loudly said, "Thanks, Francine, for bringing that report up for me to sign. I've been so scatterbrained lately."

Fred stepped into the office, carrying a box filled with plants and books. "Amanda, do you think we could make some room on that shelf for these?" he asked politely. He looked up at the shelf above Amanda's desk already filled with different potted plants.

Amanda looked at Francine, rolled her eyes, and suggested, "How about over here? There's room on top of the fridge. That corner gets plenty of sunlight."

Fred lowered the box onto Lee's desk and sighed, "Thanks. That might work. I was thinking about my plants, mixed with yours… I don't know. I just thought it might help us mix better, too. But if you think they would be okay on the fridge, I guess that would be all right." He pulled two ivy plants out and placed them side by side. He pulled out a larger yellow and green snake plant and a leafy pothos plant, which he put behind the two ivy plants. He stepped back and smiled, "See, happy plants, happy people."

Francine rolled her eyes and shook her head behind Fred as she stated, "This happy person is going to get back to work. I'll see you both at the morning meeting." She left the office, and her heels could be heard clicking on the wooden floor until the sound slowly faded.

Fred pulled out a small picture frame and tried to put it on the desk. "What are you doing?" Amanda immediately stood up and moved to Lee's desk.

"I thought I would put the picture of my sister's family here," Fred stated.

Amanda took the picture from his hand, and with a forced smile, she moved the ivy plants apart and put the photo between them. "This is perfect. What a nice family picture, and I think the plants just help make it nicer, you know. We should probably head down to the conference room, so we are not late for Billy's meeting," Amanda rambled.

She quickly opened the door and waited. Frowning, Fred followed her, and together they made their way down the stairs to the closet elevator. "Mrs. Marston might be off today," Fred commented.

"Yes, I think she said something about going out of town for a few days to visit family," Amanda continued their small talk as the door closed behind them.


	35. Chapter 35

**Chapter 34**

The remainder of the day passed with no new knowledge of Boudreaux's whereabouts. Francine checked in with her teams every two hours, but they had not been able to locate him. Amanda spent the morning shuffling between the phone records from the hotel and the agency phone logs while trying to dodge Fielder. She finally gave up and asked Billy if she could take the information home with her, where she would be able to focus on her task.

At home, Dotty watched as Amanda poured over every line, one at a time for comparison, highlighting the corresponding match. "Amanda, darling, what in the world are you working on?" she questioned after thirty minutes.

"I'm just comparing the incoming phone calls to this number to the outgoing calls on this list," she explained.

"So, you have to go through every telephone call on that long, long," she paused and flipped through the folded pages of the computer printout, "Long list to find that number?" she finished.

Amanda held up the smaller printout from the hotel and nodded, "Yes, Mother. This is very important. We finally have two suspects in Lee's case. One is the man who really shot Dr. Smyth, and the other is the one who we believe is the mastermind behind this whole thing."

Dotty leaned onto the counter and blinked several times. "Amanda, if you have suspects, then what is this going to prove? You must have enough information to arrest these men?"

"We have a lot of information but nothing completely concrete to tie these two men together," Amanda explained.

"Wait, so are you saying you know who did this?" Dotty gasped.

Amanda nodded, "We do, Mother. We even have the fingerprints to match the ones Francine and I found."

"Then why haven't you arrested him… them… yet? Why are you sitting here going over this?" Dotty demanded.

Amanda sighed, "Because, Mother, it's not enough. We need to tie these two men together and know for sure they are connected. If I can find a correlation between these telephone numbers, then that puts us in a better position to arrest them."

Dotty skimmed the page of telephone numbers, shrugged her shoulders, and stated, "Then I'll leave you to your work." She took her cup of coffee and settled herself onto the couch with a magazine as Amanda went back to comparing the numbers. "Whatever you need to do to get Lee home faster," Dotty muttered as she flipped the pages.

Another hour passed before Amanda declared, "I think I found it, Mother. I need to call Mr. Melrose right away." She jumped off her chair and headed to the phone on the corner of the kitchen island. "Sir, I found all the calls made from the Agency to the hotel Boudreaux was staying at, along with a few calls made from a payphone, and it looks like his home number."

"Well done, Amanda. Have you found any new numbers we may be able to use to track Boudreaux down?" Billy asked.

"Not yet, sir. But if I follow the time pattern, he should be contacting Boudreaux any day now," Amanda stated. "Could we tap his phones at both the office and his house?"

"What about the payphone? What if he used that one?" Billy reminded her.

"No, sir. The pattern says he'll call from either his home or his office," Amanda insisted.

Billy made a quick note and waved the paper at Francine, who was sitting across from him. "Get these lines tapped. Now! Amanda says he'll contact Boudreaux soon." Francine took the slip of paper and headed out the door. "Francine is on it. Did you find anything else, Amanda?"

Amanda skimmed the list of the most recent calls made, "Well, sir, there is this one number, but I haven't checked to see what it is. The number is 202-555-8443."

"Got it. I'll get right on that. Good work, Amanda. I'll let you know if we hear anything," Billy stated before he hung up the phone. He lifted the receiver once more and dialed the extension for Research. "Melrose here. I need a reverse phone look-up. 202-555-8443. Yes, I'll hold." Billy waited several minutes before he repeated, "The Flop House. Near Washington Heights… you're sure? Okay."

He stood up and went in search of Francine. He found her setting up two agents in a nearby office. "We have another location… The Flop House near Washington Heights. Amanda found a few calls made there recently," he stated. One of the men nodded, punched several keys on the computer keyboard, and nodded again, "Got it."

"Now, we just wait for the phone to ring," Francine stated. She settled herself into the chair, placed the headphones on her head, and folded her arms.

"Good, as soon as we get something, we are on the move," Billy instructed. He headed back to his office and settled into his chair.

Three hours later, Francine rushed into his office. "We got it. They are meeting tonight at the marina of all places. Eight o'clock."

"Get Amanda on the phone. She needs to be there for this. We'll be in place long before their meeting, and then we'll nail the two of them to the wall," Billy declared.

Just after seven, Francine picked Amanda up from her house in Arlington, and together, they drove to James Creek Marina. They parked in the E Street parking lot at The Eisenhower School of National Security and Resources Strategy in a row of cars and headed on foot to the marina. They found Billy and another agent hiding behind a winterized boat, hidden in the shadows. The biting wind whipped around them as they waited. Amanda peered out, over the docks to the spot Dr. Smyth had been killed. She touched the diamond-studded cross she wore and said a silent prayer in his memory.

Slowly, a brown sedan rolled into the gravel parking lot, coming to a stop against the edge of the frozen grass. In the light of the parking lot lamps, they could clearly see Boudreaux rubbing his hands together. Several minutes later, a second vehicle arrived. "Wait until they both exit the vehicles. No one moves until I say go," Billy instructed into the small walkie talkie he held. Amanda scanned the surrounding area for the other agents hidden, but she was unable to find them. "Just hold steady, Amanda. They're out there. There's no way these two are getting out of this."

Amanda nodded, wide-eyed, and turned her attention back to the parking lot. She watched as the two men departed their vehicles, one man carrying a briefcase. Billy waited until the handoff was made before he barked, "NOW! Take them now!"

Immediately, agents swarmed the small lot holding guns trained on the two surprised men. Billy ran across the frozen grass, Amanda and Francine beside him. "Jackson Boudreaux, you are under arrest for the murder of Dr. Austin Smyth," he announced. One agent grabbed Boudreaux roughly and spun him around to handcuff him. The second man stood, frozen to the spot, his hands raised.

"Mr. Melrose, I can explain. You see, I heard through the grapevine that Boudreaux was involved, so I thought I could flush him out, you know," the second man spoke nervously.

Several feet away, Boudreaux began thrashing his body in an attempt to break free from the agent holding onto him. Seeing this as his chance, the second man broke into a run, only to be tripped up by Amanda. He slid across the frozen grass until he stopped in a slushy mud puddle beside another boat. Another agent reached him and jerked him to his feet as he tightened the handcuffs behind his back.

"Why? Why would you do this? Why would you do this to Lee?" Amanda demanded.

He squared his shoulders and narrowed his eyes at her, as wet mud slid down his cheek, "Why? You ask me why? Why not? He deserved it. Mr. Arrogant. Always so perfect. Always got his man, and then he got the perfect girl, too. The star pupil. Scarecrow's protege."

"The perfect girl? Star pupil? Protege? You should know better than that," Amanda cried.

"Get this dirtbag out of here!" Billy snapped. He waved his hand to another agent, but it was Francine who stopped him.

"No, I'll do it. Nothing like taking the trash out at the end of the day," Francine sneered as she grabbed Beaman's arm and led him toward the street.


	36. Chapter 36

**Chapter 35**

A week later, Ambrose sat on a bench in the long hallway of the courthouse early in the morning. It was another cold December morning; however, the feeling of Christmas was all around with the red and green decorations. He was joined by an anxious Amanda, Billy, Francine, and a pacing Harry.

"Mr. Schortmann, I don't understand. We have all the evidence that says Lee didn't do this, why do we have to see the judge?" Amanda asked nervously.

"Well, Mrs. Stetson, the judge has to make the final decision on his exoneration. Once the decision has been made, his records will be wiped clean, and Lee will be a free man," Ambrose explained.

"But why did it take a week for us to get this court date?" she asked.

Ambrose pushed his glasses onto the bridge of his nose and stated, "Nothing works as quickly as you want it to when you are dealing with the justice system. Although Mr. Beaman and Mr. Boudreaux have both admitted their involvement, we still had to compile the evidence to present it to Judge Hamilton. Then we had to wait for an open court time."

Harry stopped pacing and demanded, "Why in the hell did Beaman do all of this in the first place?"

Amanda sighed softly, "I think I can answer part of that. Ever since Dr. Smyth made me a full agent, he was unhappy I was ahead of all of his freshman agents. He disliked the special allowances made for me, and he thought Lee bent all the rules to suit himself."

"But how does having your nose out of joint lead to murder?" Harry demanded.

"Obviously, you don't know Beaman very well, Harry," Francine laughed. "Lee was always making a fool out of him. And slowly, Amanda was too. Only she wasn't so over the top about it as Lee could be."

Harry frowned, "I guess I can buy that. Why Dr. Smyth? What could he possibly have against him?"

"He was an easy target," Billy spoke up. "There was no love lost between Dr. Smyth and anyone at the Agency. He ruffled so many feathers Beaman figured he was an easy mark. Then there was that fight Smyth and Lee had a few weeks before. It was just another way for Beaman to deflect everything to Lee."

Francine stood and adjusted her purse on her shoulder as she added, "Not to mention, the old man wouldn't give anyone a promotion, and Beaman was hungry for more power than he already had. Bossing around freshman agents wasn't enough. He wanted the respect and admiration of his fellow agents, but sometimes the truth hurts. He was never going to get it."

A few doors down, a bailiff stepped out and called to the group. "Judge Hamilton will see you in chambers, now," he announced.

The small group walked down the hall together. "So, Amanda, when this is finished, are you heading home to pick everyone up to get Lee?" Billy asked quietly.

"No, I'm going alone. Mother and I talked about it, and we decided it was best if I went by myself. It's a long ride to be cooped up in the car with everyone. Besides, it will give us some time alone," Amanda whispered.

"I think that's a perfect idea," Billy smiled at her. He held the heavy wooden door for her as they entered Judge Hamilton's chambers.

Seven hours later, Amanda was sitting outside in her car, awaiting Lee's arrival. Beside her was another vehicle with a familiar-looking woman. She checked her watch once more before climbing out to get a better view of the front doors. The woman beside her followed suit, and Amanda couldn't resist talking to her. "Are you waiting for your husband, too?"

"No, my brother. He's been in a long time, but he finally gets to come home," the woman replied.

"Oh, I'm sorry. My husband was wrongly convicted and spent the last few months here, but even that felt too long. I can't imagine what you went through," Amanda apologized.

"Now, it's my turn to be sorry," the woman apologized.

Amanda smiled and shook her head, "No, don't be. The important thing is they are both coming home, where they belong, right?"

The woman nodded in agreement, "And, just in time for Christmas."

The movement of the two glass doors attracted Amanda's attention. "Look, I think they're coming now."

The women watched as Lee and Tucker walked out of the front doors of the penitentiary side by side smiling, each man carrying a bag of personal items. Amanda could barely contain her excitement, and as soon as Lee was close enough, she ran to him and threw her arms around his neck. "Sweetheart!" she sighed, her breath hot against his cool skin. Lee dropped the bag he was carrying and lifted her off the ground. He held her there for several seconds before he lowered her back down and sealed his lips to hers.

While Amanda and Lee held each other, Tucker reached his sister and dropped his own bag when she reached out to hold him. Tucker couldn't hide his tears as he openly wept in his sister's arms. "Let's go home. Dad's waiting for us," she whispered.

"Wait," Tucker slapped at the wet streaks on his face. He turned to Lee and called out, "Stetson, stop smooching on the sidewalk, so we can get out of here for good!"

Slightly embarrassed, Lee finally released Amanda and turned to Tucker. "Amanda, I need you to meet the man that saved my life in there. This is Tucker. Tucker, this is my wife, Amanda."

Amanda took several steps in Tucker's direction to hug him. "Thank you. I don't know everything that happened in there and, knowing Lee, I'm not going to know. But whatever you did, thank you for helping bring him home," she stated.

Tucker squeezed her back gently and shook his head, "Well, ma'am, if it weren't for Stetson over there, I'd still be in there myself. So, the feeling is mutual."

Lee collected his bag and headed towards Amanda's car. He looked around and asked, "Where is everyone else? I figured you would have brought the boys with you, at least."

"No, Sweetheart, it's just us," Amanda shook her head. "Let's get going."

"Hey, Tucker, remember what I said… Christmas Eve, you're coming to our house to celebrate," Lee called out.

Tucker nodded and patted his pocket, "I got your number right here. I'll touch base with you in a few days as soon as I get myself settled at my Dad's. I'm gonna be staying with him while he's doing his treatments. Turns out, they got better results after more testing, so there's still hope he can pull through this."

Tucker's sister pulled on his arm and stated, "Let's go. Dad's waiting, and it's a long ride to Alexandria." Tucker nodded once more before he climbed into his sister's car, and they pulled away.

Lee and Amanda climbed into her Wagoneer. "Let me guess. By the time we get home, the boys will still be waiting up for us, right?" Lee asked.

"Nope. We're not going right home," Amanda shook her head as she slowly pulled out of the parking lot. She reached over and threaded her fingers through Lee's.

"What do you mean we're not going right home?" Lee asked, confused,

Amanda drove slowly on the open road as she explained, "You and I are going to check in to a hotel for the night and head home in the morning." She glanced over at Lee and added, "Mother and I discussed it, and it was her idea."

Lee pulled her fingers to his lips and stated, "Remind me to thank her when we get home."

They drove in silence for thirty minutes before they reached the hotel. They checked in and soon found themselves alone in their room. Lee laid on the bed and sighed, "I missed this."

"What, a fluffy mattress?" Amanda teased as she sat beside him.

Lee folded his hands behind his head and blinked at her, "No, being with you. Amanda, I would lay on that bunk every night and just stare at your picture until I fell asleep, and every morning, it was the first thing I saw when I opened my eyes." He reached over and brushed her hair off her shoulder and continued, "I don't know what you did to solve this, but there's not enough time in the day for me to thank you properly."

Lee pushed himself onto his elbow and threaded his hand into her hair before he pulled her close. Amanda leaned down and sealed her lips to his in a fiery, passionate kiss. "I missed you, too, Sweetheart," she whispered when they finally broke apart, gasping.

Lee didn't waste any time as he maneuvered himself above her to take control. He sprinkled kisses across her jawline and down her neck as he nimbly unbuttoned the flannel shirt she was wearing. Amanda reached between them to undo the buttons on his dress shirt before she tugged the shirttails from his pants. Her lips found the fluttering pulse on his neck, and when she grazed her teeth across his bare collarbone, he instinctively moaned and ground his hips against her. She pushed at the starchy material of his dress shirt to expose his muscular shoulders as he lowered his head to her lace-covered breast.

"Manda," he breathed against the thin material before he slipped his arm around her to roll them. Now, on his back, he was able to push himself to a sitting position and remove the flannel shirt and bra she was wearing. He cupped her breasts in his hands as she tugged his shirt off his arms, tossing it aside. His lips found hers once again, and their tongues began the battle for dominance.

Amanda's hands didn't stop moving. She needed to touch him, to assure herself he was here, in her arms after being separated for almost half the year. "Sweetheart. I love you," she whispered against his ear.

"I love you, Amanda," Lee growled before he flipped her onto her back once more. He slowly teased her remaining clothing off her body, all the while, his lips never leaving her skin. Amanda's body was humming with anticipation, and when their bodies finally joined together, she gasped loudly. Lee pulled back, his eyes wide as he rushed out, "I didn't hurt you, did I?"

"No," she whispered huskily. "Come here." She pulled him back down and shifted her hips slightly as an invitation.

Lee growled again playfully as he took her lead. Together they rocked and climbed before they launched themselves into bliss, holding onto each other tightly. Panting, Lee rolled onto his back, pulling Amanda with him. "That was one helluva homecoming," he teased.

Amanda drew circles on his sweat-dampened skin. "That's just the beginning. We have six months to make up for."

Lee grinned ear to ear, his dimples deeper than ever before. "Can we order room service too?" he asked playfully.

"You can order anything you wish, Sweetheart. Billy told me the Agency is picking up the tab for everything," Amanda informed him with a soft laugh.

Lee brushed her hair off her forehead and pressed his lips to it, "Well, then, we shouldn't spare any expense. After all, when was the last time we had full reign on the Agency's dime."

"And we don't have to leave this bed until we're ready to," Amanda sighed happily.

Lee kissed her forehead once more and stated, "Well, I was thinking… I bet there's a big jacuzzi tub in that bathroom." He punctuated his thought with a wink.

"Only one way to find out…" Amanda winked back.


	37. Chapter 37

**Chapter 36**

Amanda and Lee spent most of the night in each other's arms getting reacquainted until the early hours of the morning. The sun began streaming through the windows, refracting off the frost on the glass, creating small rainbows across the stark white, down comforter that covered their naked bodies. Amanda was the first to open her eyes, and she happily smiled at her husband. She brushed his hair off his forehead and gently traced the line of his chin with her finger. She grimaced at the bruises she spotted on his ribs, injuries she had missed in the partial darkness of the room the night before. Lee shifted in his sleep and reached out for her, his hand tightening across her waist. "Manda," he whispered.

"I'm here, Sweetheart," she whispered back. She brushed her lips across his forehead and settled back onto the pillow to watch him again. When Lee's hand twitched against her stomach, she covered it with her own and held it gently until he relaxed in his sleep once more. She stayed that way for almost an hour until the sun was streaming in completely when Lee finally opened his eyes. "Hey, good morning," she spoke softly.

Lee sighed and blinked sleepily, "Good morning."

"Did you sleep well?" Amanda asked as she played with an errant lock of hair on his forehead.

"Better, because I'm with you," he admitted. He lifted his chin and brushed his lips across hers.

Amanda smiled at him, lovingly, "Are you ready to go home?"

Lee looked down at the comforter and sighed, "Honestly? I'm a little nervous."

"Why?" Amanda questioned softly.

Lee shrugged his shoulders, "Because it's been six months since I've been there. Things change around us, things we can't control. I feel like I've missed so much."

Amanda lifted his chin with her fingers, "Sweetheart, you haven't missed much at all. The boys started school in the fall, and Mother's still hovering over all of us… really. We're still in the same house on the same street, with the same neighbors."

Lee exhaled loudly, "Yeah, the neighbors… I bet I'm the talk of the block."

Amanda pushed herself into a full sitting position and looked at her husband, "Sweetheart, when the news broke last week, I can't tell you how many phone calls I got from the neighbors asking when you'll be coming home. I think they were just as worried about you as the rest of us. No one believed you killed Dr. Smyth. Anyone that knows you, knows you are not capable of cold-blooded murder like that."

Lee looked into her expressive brown eyes and gave her a weak smile, "I'm going to trust you on that."

"Hey, you know you can always trust me," Amanda assured him. Lee nodded his head slightly. "We should probably get moving. Everyone's expecting us back this afternoon."

Lee looked around the hotel room and nodded, "I heard it's a long ride."

"And if we don't leave soon, it's going to feel even longer. So, scoot. Get yourself in the shower, and I'll get in when you're done. I'll even call Mother and let her know we'll be leaving in a little bit, so she won't worry," Amanda instructed.

Lee tossed the covers back and swung his bare legs off the bed. "Brrr… it's a little chilly in this room," he shivered. He took one look at Amanda's bare shoulders and suggested, "What if we shower together? We could get done twice as fast?" He gave her his best, dimpled smile as he waited for her answer.

Amanda returned his smile with a wink and reminded him, "If we do that, we'll be later than we already are. Tell you what… while you're in the shower, I'll order up some coffee and breakfast to save time."

Lee shook his head and tried once more, "I'm not hungry, Amanda. At least for food that is."

Amanda took the pillow from behind her head and tossed it at him. "Go!" she laughed as the pillow bounced off his chest before he could catch it.

Hours later, they slowly pulled onto Maplewood Drive. "Amanda, can you pull over for a minute?" Lee begged.

Amanda glanced over at him strangely but did as he asked. "Are you all right, Sweetheart?" She reached out to touch his cheek.

"I just want to say one thing before we see everyone else," Lee began. Amanda's eyes widened immediately, and she waited quietly for him to continue. "I just want to say thank you for believing in me… in us… to find the truth. I know it wasn't easy and getting stuck with Fred…" his voice trailed off as his voice cracked with emotion.

"Lee, I would have done almost anything to bring you home, you know that," Amanda insisted.

"I know… I just needed to say it one more time before we see everyone else because if I know Dotty, she's got half of DC waiting for us right now," Lee smiled weakly.

Amanda chuckled softly, "Well, not half of DC, but I know there are a few people waiting for us." She cradled his jaw with her hand before he turned and planted a kiss into her palm. "Let's go home," she stated. Lee nodded, and she rolled away from the curb and drove the remaining distance to their house. Outside, suspended between two oversized, plastic snowmen, was a 'Welcome Home, Lee' sign the boys had made for him.

"They're home!" Jamie shouted from inside the house. He had been watching for Amanda's car since he got home from school an hour ago.

Dotty dropped the dishtowel she was holding and scurried to the front door. She pulled it open and loudly began calling Lee's name, much to his chagrin. "Lee! You're home! Oh, thank goodness you're home!" Lee climbed out of the car and made his way up the front walkway, where Dotty met him halfway. She threw her arms around him and exclaimed once more, "We missed you so much!"

"Thanks, Dotty. I missed you, too," he assured her. He looked up, and through the open doorway, he could see Philip and Jamie, Billy, Francine, Ambrose, and Harry waiting inside. Amanda moved up behind them and slipped her arm around Lee's waist to guide them into the house.

Once Lee was completely through the door, the boys could no longer contain their excitement. They flung their arms around him as Dotty stepped away. With one hand, Jamie removed his glasses and wiped the tears from his eyes while Philip buried his face against Lee's shoulder. "Hey, it's good to be home, fellas," Lee whispered with an emotion-filled voice.

The boys released him, and Billy stepped forward, his hand extended. Lee grasped his hand and pulled him close in a tight hug, "Thanks, Billy. You don't know what all this means to me."

"I think I do. You didn't think we were going to give up on you, did you?" Billy chastised him lightly.

"I hoped you wouldn't," Lee admitted. He released Billy and stepped directly into Francine's waiting arms. She tried hard to blink back her tears, but it was futile. "Hey, no crying. It's over."

"I'm not crying over you if that's what you think," Francine teased. "I'm just thinking of all the reports I'm going to have to write now." She sniffled several times before they both began laughing.

Lee walked up the three steps to the landing of the stairs where Harry and Ambrose stood, waiting for their turn. Lee offered Ambrose his hand and said, "I can't thank you enough for helping everyone get to the truth."

Ambrose accepted Lee's hand and pushed his glasses up as he stated, "I believe this was a joint effort. Besides, it's the most exciting case I've worked on, to date."

Lee had barely released Ambrose's hand when Harry pulled him into a tight bear hug. "Next time you threaten to shoot someone, can you have a few less witnesses?" he teased.

"Yeah, I'll try that," Lee laughed. Harry released him, and Lee looked around at the faces surrounding him. "I don't know what to say. Thank you doesn't feel like enough."

"Then don't say anything and let's eat!" Philip exclaimed loudly. "I'm starving!"


	38. Chapter 38

**Chapter 37**

Less than a week later, Amanda was sitting at her desk in the Q Bureau, working her way through the small pile of reports beside her. She heard the slight squeak of the doorknob twisting before the wood and glass door swung inwardly. She expected to see Fred but was surprised to see Lee step into the office wearing a grin. "Sweetheart, what are you doing here? You aren't on the schedule until after the holidays," Amanda questioned.

Lee tossed his keys in his hand and sauntered further into the room. "Well, I knew today was the office party, thanks to Leatherneck, so I thought I'd stop by and say hi to everyone. You know, get it out their system before I come back," Lee continued to grin. He looked around the sparsely decorated office and questioned, "Where's your holiday spirit? You usually have this place decorated to the hilt."

Amanda looked around at the minimal decorations she had put up earlier in the month when Lee was still in prison. "I didn't feel much like celebrating when I brought everything in, so I just put up enough to remind me it was still Christmas." She closed her folder, stood, and joined Lee in the center of the room. She draped her arms around his neck and pushed up on her toes to brush her lips across his. "But, I'm glad you're home," she whispered.

Lee leaned forward to kiss her again when they heard a loud rattle at the door. Instinctively, they jumped apart just as Fred pushed his way into the office carrying a cardboard box. "Oh, sorry," he muttered. "I just came up to get my stuff. Billy found me another desk downstairs in the bullpen. This one's near the watercooler," he stated with little enthusiasm.

"Billy didn't waste any time," Lee joked. He stepped out of Fred's way before he dropped the box onto the couch.

"No, it was my idea, actually. I figured it would give me more time to get settled back down there before you came back," Fred explained. He reached up and lifted the snake plant off the small fridge and placed it into the box before reaching up for another one.

"Hey, Fred, I'm sorry it didn't work out in the Q Bureau," Amanda reached out to touch his shoulder.

Fred gave her a weak smile as he continued to move his plants into the box. "It's okay, Amanda. Lee's back and I get it. No hard feelings, really," he assured her. He finished placing the plants in the box and sighed. He took the picture of his sister's family and stared at it for a moment before he placed it carefully in the box as well.

Lee watched Amanda's face as Fred moved his stuff to the cardboard box. He dropped his shoulders slightly then suggested, "Tell you what, Fielder, why don't I carry this down to the bullpen for you. Amanda and I were heading down that way soon for the Christmas party, anyway."

"Lee, no, you don't have to do that," Fred declared, but Lee stepped around him and hefted the box into his hands. Lee turned and took two steps forward when his shoe caught the edge of the area rug on the floor, and he tripped. Amanda and Fred watched in horror as the box slid from Lee's hands and landed on the floor in a loud crash.

Lee looked down at the box and groaned, "Fred… I'm sorry… I tripped…" He reached into the box and pulled out a large shard of a ceramic pot. "Did I break everything?" he winced.

Amanda reached into the box and lifted the framed photograph, "No, it looks like this survived." She scanned the box and stated, "I have some extra pots at home, Fred. I could bring that box home and repot everything for you and bring it back in a day or two, good as new."

Fred stood, his mouth gaping open, completely speechless. Lee took the photograph from Amanda and said, "Your sister's kids are getting big. I remember when the oldest was born. You told everyone all about it."

"And such a beautiful family," Amanda added. She reached out to take the frame back, but as Lee handed it to her, he let go of it too soon, and the frame crashed into the box with a loud smash.

"My… my… my," Fred sputtered.

Lee shook his head, "Geez, I don't know what's wrong with me today. I must have butterfingers or something."

Amanda put her hands on Fred's arms and gently guided him to the door as she assured him, "Don't worry. I'll take care of that, too. It'll be just like new. I promise. You go on and head down, and Lee and I will meet you there in a few minutes." She left a speechless Fred in the hall and closed the door. She spun around and lifted an eyebrow at Lee. She pointed a finger at him and accused, "You did that on purpose, didn't you?"

"A-man-da? Do you really think I dropped that box on purpose?" Lee blinked back as he tried to suppress the smirk that threatened.

"You did!" she announced. "Why?"

Lee looked down at the box and coughed several times to stop himself from laughing. "I had to do something… I mean, after everything he's been through, I couldn't hurt him, so I thought if I-"

"You thought if you could destroy his plants, you'd get back at him for what he did, didn't you?" Amanda questioned.

Lee pulled Amanda close and nodded, "Yeah, just a little. You're not going to be mad at me for that, are you? I mean, I could have hit him for what he did to you."

Amanda lifted her chin and shook her head, "No, I'm not going to be mad at you. But you are going to help me fix all of this."

Lee bobbed his head around as he commented, "Yeah, yeah, yeah."

Thirty minutes later, Lee and Amanda arrived in the bullpen where the holiday party was in full swing. "Amanda!" Francine waved to them from her spot near Billy's office. "I miss your cookies this year," she groaned.

Amanda gave her a weak smile, "I just wasn't up to it, but maybe now that Lee's home, you can come on over, and we can bake a batch together." She scanned the room and spotted Fred sitting on the edge of a desk, a large cup of eggnog in his hand. She casually gestured in his direction and asked, "How is he?"

Francine rolled her eyes, "He stumbled down here a while ago and hasn't moved from that spot since. Who knows what's wrong with him."

Lee chuckled, "I think I have something to do with that." He was about to explain when a squeaky voice interrupted from behind him.

"Well, if it isn't the infamous Scarecrow," Mr. Ebert announced.

Lee turned and looked down at the man in front of him. "Hello, Mr. Ebert. You look very festive in that sweater," Amanda declared cheerfully.

"Thank you, Mrs. Stetson. I thought, since it was my last day here, I would do it in style," Mr. Ebert replied.

"Your last day? But I thought you took over for Dr. Smyth permanently?" Amanda asked, surprised.

Mr. Ebert nodded his head, "Yes, well, I must not have made a good impression here because I'm being moved to the Department of Weights and Measures where someone feels my particular skill set may be more useful."

"Oh, that's too bad. I was looking forward to working with you," Lee tried to sound genuinely disappointed, but the grin on his face said otherwise.

Billy approached the small group and loudly called out, "Scarecrow? Let me guess. You're already chomping at the bit to get back to work."

Lee nodded, "Actually, yeah, something like that." He looked around the room and said, "Doesn't look like things have changed much since I left."

"Well, other than the fact that Dr. Smyth is six feet under, Beaman is behind bars, and Ebert is on his way out, I'd say, no, nothing's changed," Francine declared.

Billy joined the group and turned to Amanda, "You know, there's one thing I could never figure out. I've gone over everyone's reports a few times, but… Amanda, how did you know Boudreaux didn't leave town? I mean, we know he left the hotel, but why?"

Amanda smiled at Billy, "Well, during his interrogation, I asked the very same question. He said he knew something was wrong when Brewer didn't contact him at their scheduled time. Then when he missed his second check-in, that was his cue to head out."

"Well, excellent work. I just got word that Beaman is working on a plea deal for a lighter sentence," Billy informed them.

"A lighter sentence? For what he did? He should -" Lee snapped.

"Sweetheart, remember, he's still getting what he deserves," Amanda reminded Lee.

Lee grunted, "No, what he deserves is what he did to Dr. Smyth."

Francine watched their exchange and quickly interjected, "Well, would you like to know the reason why Beaman cracked?" All eyes turned to her. "During Beaman's interrogation, he admitted he'd had enough of working in Scarecrow's shadow. He wanted to be the one everyone talked about."

"Oh, they're talking about him, all right. Just not the way he wanted, I think," Amanda stated with a smile. "But, enough about all that. Let's celebrate."

Lee looked around at all the smiling faces in the room and declared, "I agree because this year we have a lot to celebrate. Now, where is that eggnog?"


	39. Chapter 39

**Chapter 38**

Christmas Eve was a busy day in the Stetson/King house. Amanda had spent most of the morning baking cookies while Dotty began preparing the goose. Lee and the boys did their best to stay out of the way. As the afternoon wore on, delicious aromas filled the air, drawing the attention of the men of the house. At one point, Lee tried to sneak a taste of one particular appetizer, only to have Dotty tap his hand with the wooden spoon she was holding. He skulked his way back into the family room and shook his head at the boys.

The first of their guests arrived shortly before five. Francine came, bearing gifts for the entire family, including Aunt Lillian, who'd spent the day embroidering an apron for Amanda and chatting with Lee and the boys. Billy and Jeannie were the next to arrive carrying gifts and desserts. Colonel Clayton came with gifts for the boys just before Harry showed up with nothing but a bottle of wine and a smile.

"So, how does it feel to be home?" Harry asked Lee as he popped the cork on the wine before handing Harry a glass.

Lee sighed happily, "Strange but in a good way." He sipped the wine and hummed, "Mmmm, that's good."

Harry took a healthier sip and nodded, "Damn good wine, it is." He smacked his lips several times and stated, "I just have to say, I'm sorry."

Lee put his wine glass down and shook his head, "Harry, you have nothing to be sorry for. I mean, it's not like you had anything to do with what happened. And you did find me a damn good lawyer. That was more than enough. You'll never know how much we appreciate what you did."

"No, but I should have been able to help you sooner," Harry insisted.

Lee reached out and touched his mentor's shoulder, "Hey, none of that. It's Christmas. It's a time to celebrate and be happy… at least that's what Amanda and Dotty have been reminding me all week." Lee laughed happily as he put his arm around Harry's shoulder. He guided him into the living room where Billy and Francine were chatting with Colonel Clayton and Amanda. Lee slipped his arm around his wife's waist and gave her a small squeeze before something outside the window caught his attention. He leaned close and whispered, "I'll be right back."

Amanda watched as Lee made his way to the front door. He stepped outside and closed the door behind him. Outside, standing alone at the gate, was Tucker. Amanda inhaled as she watched Lee, through the window, meet him on the brick walkway.

"Tucker, you made it," Lee smiled. "It was starting to get late. I didn't think you were going to come."

Tucker looked up at the house then to Lee, "I almost didn't. I told myself all day I didn't belong with your family on Christmas."

"Nonsense! Amanda and I want you here. And it's not just family… some of our friends are here, as well. Come on inside," Lee encouraged Tucker with a tilt of his head.

Tucker looked over at the house again, and inside the window, he could see everyone gathered together, laughing, and smiling. "No, I can't. After ten minutes, they're going to be wondering what I'm doing here," he insisted.

Before Lee could reply, Amanda was standing in the open door calling to them, "Get in here you, two. It's freezing out here."

"Come on. Amanda doesn't take no for an answer," Lee joked as he gently guided Tucker toward the door.

"Merry Christmas, Tucker," Amanda greeted him with a hug. She took his coat and announced, "Hey, everyone, this is Lee's friend, Tucker."

Lee nodded appreciatively as the boys were the first to step forward, "Hi, Tucker. Lee told us all about how you saved him when he was in that rat hole," Jamie spouted as he reached out to shake Tucker's hand.

"Now, that's not what I called it," Lee tried to defend himself.

"Sure it is… right after you complained about how bad the food was. I'm Philip, that's Jamie," Philip stated as he held up a glass of eggnog. "Would you like some? This is the safe one… the one that won't make you all loopy as Aunt Lillian puts it."

Tucker blinked rapidly as he tried to take it all in. He shook his head, "Sure, that sounds pretty good."

Lee led Tucker into the living room and introduced him to the small group standing around. "So, you're the fella that kept my nephew sane in that godforsaken place," Colonel Clayton spouted.

"Yes, sir. But I think Lee helped me a lot, too," Tucker admitted.

"Well, don't let the uniform fool you. I spent thirty days in the stockade after a drunk and disorderly during my younger years… well, before I took on the responsibility of taking care of Skip here. I know it's not easy being in a situation like that, but Skip told me how you took him under your wing, so to speak. And, well, I wouldn't be a man of honor if I didn't thank you for that," the colonel stated with gusto.

Tucker lowered his eyes and muttered, "Thank you, sir. I appreciate that."

"Colonel, I believe Dotty may be looking for some help in the kitchen. Do you think you could give her a hand?" Lee interrupted.

Colonel Clayton turned his head and called out, "Don't worry, Dotty, I'm on my way." He turned back to Lee and Tucker and added, "You'll have to excuse me. Duty calls."

Lee leaned close to Tucker and apologized, "I'm sorry about that."

"No need to apologize… Skip," Tucker teased with a smile. He began to relax more as Billy and Francine approached.

"So, this is the infamous Tucker," Francine announced. She sized him up from top to bottom and declared, "Now, I understand how you came out of that ambush. Tucker must have done all the work."

Lee's jaw dropped, "Tucker didn't do allll the work, Francine. I took my fair share of punches in that fight, too."

Francine batted her long, mascara covered eyelashes and added, "But did you take a shiv to the side and survive, Scarecrow?"

"It was a shank, and no, I didn't. But I did take a pretty mean left hook to the face," Lee retorted.

Francine reached up and patted his cheek, "And yet, it still didn't help you at all, did it?"

Billy sputtered on the sip of eggnog he was trying to take during their friendly teasing. He coughed several times, drawing Amanda's attention. "Oh, sir, are you okay? Maybe you need some water?" she rushed out, nervously.

Billy waved his hand, indicating he was fine, "I'm all right, Amanda. Thank you." He turned to Tucker and stated, "Lee tells me you're a good man who made a bad decision in your younger days."

Tucker pressed his lips together and nodded, "Yes, sir. But I've definitely learned my lesson. My parole officer is working with me to find a job, but so far, I haven't had any luck."

Lee looked at Billy, who gave him a subtle nod. "Tucker, can I talk to you for a minute?" Lee requested.

Tucker shrugged his shoulders and followed Lee back to the front door, "What's up?"

"Listen, I was talking to Billy a little bit about your situation and, well, I think we came up with an idea… if you're interested," Lee offered.

"What do you mean?" Tucker asked, confused.

"Well, we're always looking for runners… people to do odd jobs and things for us… and well, if you think you could pass a background check, with the help of your parole officer, I'd like to offer you a job working for us," Lee smiled at his new friend.

Tucker looked up at Lee, "You're not pulling my leg, are you?"

Lee shook his head and assured him, "No, not at all. But it's going to take a little time to get you all set up. So, it's not going to happen overnight. What do you say? You interested?"

"Interested? Boy, that's the second-best news I've heard all day!" Tucker declared.

Lee tilted his head, "Second best? What's the first?"

Tucker gave Lee a gentle punch on the arm and announced, "My sister is having a baby! She didn't want to say anything beforehand, but she's due right around my Dad's birthday. He was so happy. First time I've seen him cry since my mom died."

Lee's smile grew wider, his dimples deepening as he congratulated him, "That's great news!"

Amanda appeared at the top of the steps, "What are you, two, smiling so much about?" She descended the steps and slipped her arm into the crook of Lee's elbow.

"Tucker is going to be an uncle. And he's interested in the runner job Billy and I were talking about," Lee informed her.

"Well, that is wonderful news!" Amanda declared. From the kitchen, she could hear Dotty chuckling loudly. "I hate to break this up, but I think the Colonel is trying to put the moves on my mother."

"Just another holiday in the Stetson/King house," Lee teased.

Tucker raised his eyebrows and asked, "You mean this happens a lot?"

Amanda nodded, and with a bright smile, she stated, "Merry Christmas."

_The End..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N:
> 
> First and Foremost, thank you to each and every one of you! This includes all of our guest reviewers as well! Everyone's patience throughout this journey was nothing short of amazing! I know this was an extremely dark story but you never gave up. We wanted to ensure an overall mysterious story. You watched and waited while we explored all the different clues that led to a real whodunit! It was fun setting up Fred as our main Red Herring! Lol! The long arduous road we took was well worth it, which meant our HEA was a lot sweeter! We loved doing all of this for you, our ever faithful readers! Stay safe and God bless!
> 
> Thank you Tracey for being such a great partner to work with! We have been stretching a bit and I love it! I'm extremely proud to be your friend and partner in crime! I do love a great happy ending! Wink wink! Lol! I can't wait for our next joint venture! Love you, my friend! xox ~ Karen
> 
> A/N:
> 
> How do I even begin to thank each and every one of the readers that joined us on this crazy roller coaster? You buckled yourself in for one emotional ride after another but you didn't lose faith we would eventually get Lee home where he belonged. For those of you who were stumped on the mastermind, I'm sorry we deceived you. For those of you who knew right from the start, I stand and applaud you. We did our best to throw every curve we could but we knew there would be a select few we couldn't fool.
> 
> To Karen, the other half of this evil duo, my hat's off to you for putting up with me during this whole story. Every hour we spent hashing things out was totally worth it in the end. I'm proud to say we did this together! And even more grateful you are my friend! So until our next story... XOXO ~ Tracey


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